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Colston Crawford's
Beer Column
For 21 years I wrote a beer and pubs column for the Derby Telegraph. After retiring in October 2025, I am continuing it as a blog, and this is it. Feel free to read, subscribe, comment or whatever.
Posts
Meet Jamie Allsopp, the man behind the famous Burton brand's revival, as the Devonshire bangs a drum for cask ale
JAMIE Allsopp, the man behind the revival of Samuel Allsopp’s beers, says maintaining a connection with Burton, where they famously originated, remains important to him. Jamie, the seven-times great grandson of Samuel, is coming to the town’s Devonshire Arms on Thursday, November 19, to talk about the beers, all four of which will be available. Folk are invited to drop in and have a chat from 5pm onwards. Jamie Allsopp (left) with brewer Steve Holt and the original recipe boo
Colston Crawford
6 hours ago4 min read
Meet Jamie Allsopp, the man behind the famous Burton brand's revival, as the Devonshire bangs a drum for cask ale
JAMIE Allsopp, the man behind the revival of Samuel Allsopp’s beers, says maintaining a connection with Burton, where they famously originated, remains important to him. Jamie, the seven-times great grandson of Samuel, is coming to the town’s Devonshire Arms on Thursday, November 19, to talk about the beers, all four of which will be available. Folk are invited to drop in and have a chat from 5pm onwards. Jamie Allsopp (left) with brewer Steve Holt and the original recipe boo
Colston Crawford
6 hours ago
The supermarket wine monopoly that has parallels in our beer choices...
I’m starting off this piece with a story about wine but, fear not, I’m drawing parallels with beer and coming back to the usual subject. Bear with me if you will. I like wine. I drink it at home. I’ve recently switched from red wine to white because my annoyingly sensitive stomach handles it better. The wine on the left arrives in a tanker from New Zealand and is bottled here. The wine on the right, from Chile, is bottled in its country of origin. Bottles were purchased purel
Colston Crawford
Nov 4
A dash of nostalgia in the Old Bell's unchanged Tudor Bar
It was an enjoyable nostalgia kick for me when I called in to Derby’s Old Bell Hotel with my daughter Sharon a couple of weeks ago. As it was a Friday, the Tudor Bar at the far end of the arch, through which coaches used to pass, was open, as it is also on Saturdays. The ambience in the Tudor Bar seems much the same, centred on conversation. By and large, it looks much as it did when, as a wide-eyed 18-year-old reporter, I would accompany the old fellas into the bar and soak
Colston Crawford
Oct 27
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