Good morning. Why not catch up with our latest feature over your morning cuppa

This is right easy Pete @redwillowbrewery.bsky.social @redwillowtoby.bsky.social Shameless & Very English IPA are the benchmark+ @northernmonk.bsky.social have a good west coast game with Beyond

When you type the name of an author into Amazon's search bar, and books by 4 different authors come up before the first book by that author. “We know this is not what you're looking for but we don't give a shit.” Imagine if an assistant in a local independent bookshop did that to you. Off there now.

⚖️ NEW 🏋️ Last summer Virgin Active banned trans people from bathrooms and changing rooms across the UK – so we’re taking them to court 👀 https://goodlaw.social/zbok

⚠️Reform UK are the failed Tories in disguise. 🚨Check out Best for Britain’s new Tory to Reform UK tracker. Find out just how many have jumped from the sinking ship⛴️. www.bestforbritain.org/tory_reformuk_defection_tracker

Great! Just great. The beer at gigs just got even shitter. www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/01/ab-i...

This is what happens when people subscribe! This was one of the first times time we worked with David, who has since written (and been paid for) 15 articles, which have lead to a book and now a bbc radio documentary! Patreon.com/pelliclemag

This evening's thought to ponder from Maggies Farm

Everyone’s (rightly) excited about desi pubs again but none of this would’ve happened without the support of @pelliclemag.com. They published the introduction (below) in 2021 and the award-winning deep dive into football culture (next post) the following year www.pelliclemag.com/home/2021/5/...

Thirty-four and counting... https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/08/go-back-home-farage-schoolmate-accounts-bring-total-alleging-racist-behaviour-to-34

Absolutely give this a listen. Fascinating, slightly depressing (as a white person), offering hope (as an antifascist the current climate)and mouthwatering in equal measure.

Listening live. I’m on ‘after the news’. The continuity woman pronounced desi properly!

It has been positively Baltic in Brussels this last week, with the consequence that the city's whole metabolism has seemed to slow down. I have had a similarly sluggish start to 2026 Brussels Notes #147: Tempered City

Rare union set finds new home in the West Midlands • HT @morrighani.bsky.social @teamdb.bsky.social

The west has spread environmental and economic damage around the world. Now the people fuelling the politics of hate are making money from the apparatus of hatred, says @afuahirsch.bsky.social: https://goodlaw.social/59yt

My zine is currently £7.50 in the Pellicle shop, what an immense bargain!! www.pelliclemag.com/shop

I'm the deputy editor of Pellicle magazine and I'd like to say that if you want to support independent drinks and food writing, or me, support Pellicle as a Patreon supporter. The prices are going up on the 5th, so if you do it now you'll save yourself some money. www.patreon.com/pelliclemag?...

@pelliclemag.com Just so Matt keeps making it… the podcast EP82 (and mag) are my entire inspiration for today. Macclesfield, @redwillowbrewery.bsky.social ,@rgvaults and unapologetically bring a fanboy…probably in a pellicle T (although I lost the 🔺 one in Stockport somehow…sad)

I can’t believe it’s taken me quite so long to acquire these lovely things. Thanks @petebrownbeer.bsky.social @atjbeer.bsky.social , I shall enjoy them in solitude in a quiet snug with a pint.

I've spent all day editing a lot of ramble, but here's the final episode of the @pelliclemag.com podcast for 2025. Thanks to everyone who's tuned in this year. www.pelliclemag.com/home/2025/12...

Big news: Radio 4’s Food Programme’s devoting a whole episode to the legacy of my book Desi Pubs which includes a long interview with me and a desi pub run I took Jaega on! Friday 9 Jan at 11am

"This next song is about treachery and disloyalty and it's called 'Why Can I See The Bottom of My Bowl, Woman'"

The Supreme Court didn’t let them speak. But we were proud to bring prominent trans voices to Parliament Square in May: https://bsky.app/profile/goodlawproject.bsky.social/post/3lpebsmemo222

Would be great to get Esse House a little festive donation boost going into the new year. The minimum contribution is a share of this post. Go on. It's Christmas.

Happy Christmas ya filthy animals 😘

I will do, thanks mate!

When your local understands how much better a pint on London brick is when its cask

I hope the set can be saved, as i know how hard Gareth worked to get it. Ben and I at Thornbridge would be more than happy to provide advice and help to any prospective owner 🤞

Not all trios of men bearing gifts are wise: Christopher Harborne, Jeremy Hosking and Richard Tice have provided 75% of Reform’s funding 👀 https://democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-reform-uks-donations-have-come

If anyone has a copy of last Sunday's Observer sport, I'm after a copy. My dad – dressed as Betelgeuse – is on the front cover.

Reflecting back, I'd like to reshare this long form profile I wrote on @roostersbrewco.bsky.social right at the start of the year, as its probably my favourite piece of mine from the past 12 months (and it was Pellicle's 12th most read piece of the year...) www.pelliclemag.com/home/2025/1/...

Can anyone help Matty C with what is surely the best social media request of 2025?

You should read this thoughtful piece from Matthew for a perspective you won't get from the suits.

If you haven't got my zine A Place To Be, get yourself a little treat for Christmas! It is also good for doing dramatic readings from when family charades gets boring. www.pelliclemag.com/shop/a-place...

My latest piece on irresponsible comms at Christmas wb.camra.org.uk/2025/12/06/c...

Energy bills are soaring, the King is making profit at our expense. King Charles says he cares about the environment, so you’d expect him to stand behind cheap, clean power. I’ve signed the petition to demand the Crown Estate lower fees on seabeds and make wind farms more affordable to build.

Related: I once interviewed an ‘author’ who was later found out to have plagiarised their book. I never ran their interview because of this discovery, but was also quite relieved not to, since their answers were dull as hell and the whole thing was like pulling teeth.

This article has been widely shared, and rightly so. We’re only able to produce journalism like this because of the support of our subscribers. If you’d like to support our work and contributors you can do so by signing up here: Patreon.com/pelliclemag

Fuck Labour

❌ Illegal ❌ Against X’s own terms of service ❌ Allowed to proliferate on the platform We shouldn’t have to do their own job for them – but X are sitting back and letting illegal content stay on their platform. We’re challenging that: https://goodlaw.social/6pw6

In Praise of the Beer Town — in my occasional blog for the folks at @geterbrewed.bsky.social I’ve written about what makes a great town beer scene, and for the haters I’ve included my own personal top 10. www.geterbrewed.com/blog/2025/11...

The government handed an NHS data contract to Palantir – a spy-tech firm with links to war crimes and deportations. We’re demanding that the NHS stops using Palantir’s toxic tech. Find out if your local NHS Trust is using the software and say no to Palantir 👇 https://goodlaw.social/658abc

Turns out greenwashing is easy if you own a water company. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/nov/30/england-water-companies-issued-105bn-in-green-bonds-despite-pollution-record

Embarking on a foolhardy creative project is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season! 1 newsletter a day from me, every day, until Christmas - what could go wrong? Join the party, if you dare. open.substack.com/pub/brussels...

“The ban on puberty blockers last year has left trans youth and their families feeling desperate and gives a message ‘you cannot be trans’. But of course we are trans regardless. The first thing these young people need to see and hear is that it’s ok to be who they are.” https://bit.ly/3LFSrzc

CW: Sexual assault The ruling forcing a child to carry the surname of the the man who raped her mother could harm her for life. We can't let it stand - but we need your help to fight it. To support this case 👇 goodlawproject.org/crowdfunder/...

Today in @thetimes.com I break down the price of a pint and explain why it costs so much. Over half of all job losses in the last year have been in hospitality - pubs need help. www.thetimes.com/life-style/f...

The right wing claims the BBC is against Donald Trump and ‘pro-trans’, but the people at the sharp end of its coverage disagree. The BBC must stop its attack on trans people. https://goodlawproject.org/poll-shows-70-of-trans-people-think-bbc-news-is-hostile

There aren’t many outlets that post such regular content dedicated to cider. And though we only publish once a week this year (last year was a blistering twice a week), I’m proud of the coverage we give. We don’t get mentioned much on socials or beer sites, but if you like this kind of content… 🙂