Will blog in detail a bit later about my events this weekend at the Abergavenny Food Festival – the two best tasting events I’ve ever done. But in the meantime, here’s what happened to Mrs PBBB while I was talking to a sold out hall about the virtues of Welsh microbrewers.
Mrs PBBB was sitting at the back, after having helped get everyone in and get the beers on the tables. About ten minutes into my talk, a man in his late fifties or early sixties, with grey hair and beetroot face, stumbled into the hall waving a £10 note and trying to buy a pint of Otley’s Columb-O, one of the beers I was tasting. Mrs PBBB spotted him, waved him over to her table and gave him a beer.
“Ah, you seem friendly. I’m going to sit with you!” he boomed, and at this point Mrs PBBB realised he’d come quite a way since his first beer of the day.
According to Mrs PBBB, every time I used words like ‘modern’ or ‘new’, or phrases like ‘revolution in British brewing’, he winced, tutted and shook his head.
Eventually she said, “Would you mind keeping it down a bit? That’s my husband talking.”
“Pete Brown is he?” bellowed the man.
“Yes,” replied Mrs PBBB. “Shhh.” She added.
“Yes, I read him in the Publican every month! Writes for the Publican doesn’t he?”
“Yes, he does.”
“Yes. I was reading him last month. Writing about the Meantime Brewery.”
“That’s right.”
The man sat silently for a few seconds then, thinking. And then he suddenly announced, “Yes, I read him all the time. I think he’s RUBBISH!”
He grinned at Mrs PBBB, then said, “I think I’ll leave now before I’m thrown out! Goodbye!” And off he went, clutching his Columb-O.
