Chichester alehouse wins prestigious real ale award | Vicky Meets

Vicky meets... Glenn Johnson, landlord at The Hornet Alehouse, Chichester.
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• You have just won an award – congratulations! Will you tell me more?

We have won Western Sussex CAMRA’s Pub of the Year. We won it three years ago, so it was good to win it again. CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) is a national organisation and they publish a Good Beer Guide every year. They really know what they are talking about.

• How did you come to open The Hornet Alehouse?

Glenn Johnson, landlord at The Hornet Alehouse, ChichesterGlenn Johnson, landlord at The Hornet Alehouse, Chichester
Glenn Johnson, landlord at The Hornet Alehouse, Chichester
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I worked in IT for 30 years, but I always wanted a pub. My grandad ran a pub during the Second World War, so it was probably in my genes. When micro pubs started up, I read an article about them and I really liked the ethos; real pubs selling good beer, with good conversation and no distractions like music. When the company I worked for made me redundant I decided to take the plunge and open the Alehouse.

• What makes a good pub?

The people in it, I think. We have a loyal bunch of regulars, and for a lot of them this is the only place they will come. Some people didn’t know many people in Chichester when they started coming in, but they talked to anyone and struck up friendships. People come in here and they are accepted by everyone. We do have a telly that we put on for big events, but it doesn’t intrude. Ambiance is important. While many come in for the beer, some of our customers initially came in for the ambiance and have developed a taste for beer that they didn’t have before.

• What is your favourite tipple?

I was brought up on In Gale’s HSB, which I still like, but I have always liked a broad range, especially stronger, darker beers. But I’ve gone on to more modern craft beers, like sours, now. You wouldn’t have got anything like that years ago. Our beer festival birthday weekend a few weeks ago was very successful. Together with Downlands Brewery I produced a beer for the festival called The Sue Gray Report. All three kegs sold out in three days, so I had to order more. It’s one of my favourite beers of the year so far. Another favourite is a Scandinavian barrel-aged sour-type beer. It is brewed in open containers and has an intense flavour. It really is an absolutely amazing beer!

• What advice would you give to a real ale newbie?

We find out what people generally drink and go from there. There’s a beer for everyone, I believe. We have such a broad range of beers at the Hornet Alehouse. During lockdown we extended the range so people had a good choice of beer to take out.

• What’s on offer for non-beer drinkers?

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We sell cider, a good range of soft drinks and wines you won’t find anywhere else in Chichester. Our wines come from a French supplier in Worthing and are top class.

• Where can we find out more?

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