First ever Maidenhead Ale Trail gives pubs 'a chance to show off', says new chairman

The first ‘ale trail’ in Maidenhead has been launched by the new chairman of the local branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

Mark Newcombe says the inaugural Maidenhead Ale Trail is a chance to showcase the town’s pubs.

Eight pubs are included – selected for being in the Good Beer Guide or selling at least two real ales on their hand pumps.

“It gives pubs a chance to show off what they have because quite often people stick with the pub they know and they don’t go to other places,” said Mark.

Participating pubs will offer pamphlets for visitors to claim stickers when they buy a beer, and a souvenir badge will be available for those who visit all eight venues in five weeks.

A staunch defender of pubs in the town, Mark is also the pub protection officer for the Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead branch of CAMRA.

He has been a member since ‘The Golden Harp days’ when campaigners fought to keep the Furze Platt site as a pub after the lease was bought by Tesco in 2012.

Mark also played an instrumental role in saving popular community pub The Craufurd Arms and campaigned to protect the Boundary Arms in 2023 as vice chair of the Friends of the Boundary Arms Committee.

“I’ve been a real ale drinker since I was 18, so it’s something I’ve always enjoyed,” he told the Advertiser, adding that an ale trail had been on his mind ‘for a long time’.

“You can’t really buy real ale in bottles or cans. It’s something that’s still alive in the casks, so that’s one of the reasons we need pubs.”

Having attended the more ‘established’ ale trail in Reading earlier this year, he had ‘broached’ the idea with management at The Maiden’s Head in King Street and The Craufurd Arms in Gringer Hill.

“They seem to think it would be a good idea, and it’s taken a couple of months to organise,” said Mark.

After seeing ‘a good turnout’ at the launch event at The Craufurd Arms on Sunday, Mark said copies of the CAMRA Angle branch magazine – which contains all the details of participating pubs – ‘flying out’ of local venues.

“It’s important that we keep our pubs alive, and it’s important that people use them,” he said.

“It’s technically a quiet time for pubs after summer, and it builds up again at Christmas, hopefully with Christmas parties, and then January and February can be quiet too.

“The hospitality trade is really suffering. Pubs are really struggling at the moment due to the national wage increases and energy prices.

“What they should be doing is getting parity with the VAT paid by supermarkets. It’s an unfair playing field.”

Mark is very keen to expand the ale trail beyond central Maidenhead next time.

“Because it’s the first one, we thought we would keep it quite small.

“Hopefully, next year, if it’s successful, we’ll add a few more pubs in the outlying areas like Holyport and Littlewick Green. That would be the idea,” he added.

He said the Maidenhead Ale Trail is a chance for people to ‘have a look around and see what's available’ in the town.

“If people spend maybe one or two times a month, even going out to the pub, it would help.

“That's what we're trying to do, to encourage people to at least have a try.”

The closing party takes place at The Maiden’s Head on Sunday, November 16.

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