Hopbunker: a profile
Hidden around the corner of Queen Street and down a flight of stairs sits one of Cardiff’s lesser-known treasures, a pub that feels more like a portal to the countryside than a city bar. But then, its low-key, communal atmosphere has always been part of the charm.
The Hopbunker opened opposite the castle in 2015, occupying the space previously taken by the rock club Bogiez.
The bar is operated by Hopcraft, and offer a wide range of ales and ciders, both from their own breweries and from others around Cardiff.
They quickly became notable for providing a relaxed, community hub in the heart of the city, as well as providing a wide range of excellent beers. Cardiff CAMRA voted Hopbunker its Pub of the Year for both real ale and cider for the past two consecutive years, an unheralded achievement.
The acclaim has brought with it a number of events, as well as a devoted social club.
Sue kept numbers at the first UK Beer Debate purposely low in order to promote reasonable discussion, but this year the event is doubling in size to fill the capacity of the pub.
Yet it may not stay at the Hopbunker forever. Looking ahead, Sue says she definitely plans to enlarge the event for future years, meaning the Hopbunker’s limited size may see the UK Beer Debate moving elsewhere.
The Hopbunker pub on Queen Street is set to host another edition of the UK Beer Debate following the success of the inaugural event last year.
Industry experts, journalists, brewers and pub enthusiasts of all sorts came together at last year’s event after the International Manchester Beer Convention turned sour.
“The discussion lost its way somewhat and became rather heated and volatile!” said Waen Brewery’s Sue Hayward, on the Manchester event. “On my return, I decided to sort another and revisit the issues.”
Following the success of the first debate, Sue’s looking forward to this year’s edition on 26 November, which will focus on the hotly disputed reform plans at the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
“It’s become such a heated issue as so many breweries are now vying for trade,” said Sue. “Some craft breweries see CAMRA as supporting the pubs buying cheap beer and not fully understanding the intricacies of newer style brewing.”
Many breweries, including Sue’s own Waen Brewery, have had to close in the past few years following an influx of cheaper brews that have quite literally oversaturated the market. And with the recent rise in the number of craft ales, some have questioned whether CAMRA should broaden its scope.
The organisation, which has always championed cask-matured ales and the traditional British pub, announced in 2016 that they were planning a ‘Revitilisation Project’ to review their purpose. There are even suggestions that they have achieved their initial goals and are therefore no longer relevant, though this is also fiercely rebuked.
“Real ale and pubs have a unique and personal synergy,” said Julian Grocock, former chief executive at SIBA. “I do not accept that our greatest ever consumer movement’s relevance has been superseded by the modern craft industry – and I will explain my reasoning at the debate!”
Hopbunker: a profile
Hidden around the corner of Queen Street and down a flight of stairs sits one of Cardiff’s lesser-known treasures, a pub that feels more like a portal to the countryside than a city bar. But then, its low-key, communal atmosphere has always been part of the charm.
The Hopbunker opened opposite the castle in 2015, occupying the space previously taken by the rock club Bogiez.
The bar is operated by Hopcraft, and offer a wide range of ales and ciders, both from their own breweries and from others around Cardiff.
They quickly became notable for providing a relaxed, community hub in the heart of the city, as well as providing a wide range of excellent beers. Cardiff CAMRA voted Hopbunker its Pub of the Year for both real ale and cider for the past two consecutive years, an unheralded achievement.
The acclaim has brought with it a number of events, as well as a devoted social club.
Sue kept numbers at the first UK Beer Debate purposely low in order to promote reasonable discussion, but this year the event is doubling in size to fill the capacity of the pub.
Yet it may not stay at the Hopbunker forever. Looking ahead, Sue says she definitely plans to enlarge the event for future years, meaning the Hopbunker’s limited size may see the UK Beer Debate moving elsewhere.