Welcome

Welcome to Sidney Sussex College Bar's website.

In the news

New committee

• Dan Penman is the new bar secretary- hopefully catch him talking down to Freddie and ordering around Simon some time soon! Lois Overvoorde has taken over the finances, alongside Chris Page as assistant finance. The new committee will take over in January. Thanks to the departing committee, Rosalie Tostevin, Sam Stone, and Natalie Catherwood. The bar may be in a bad way, but we're sure the new committee will work just as hard as the old one to keep the bar enjoyable for all! Wish them the best of luck.

New Beers!

• Following an unfortunate rise in the cost of Cobra on tap, it has now been replaced with San Miguel at the unbeatable price of £1.60/pint! We've also replaced the bottled San Miguel with Peroni, again at a cost of £1.60.
  
  Coming up soon: Marcus Aurelius ale. We may also be replacing our treasured Carlsberg with Becks, so watch this space!

New committee!

• Congratulations to Freddie Iron, who has been elected staff manager. He will replace swiss Dan at the end of lent term, and will most certainly carry on Dans excellent work!
  
  We also welcome Simon Gibbons as our bar committee assistant, he will also do an excellent job, and has promised to take his clothes off in the bar at some point, so watch this space..

Bar Handover

• A little bit overdue...
  
  Please welcome the new Bar Committee of Rosalie Tostevin as Bar Secretary, Sam Stone as Finance Manager and Natalie Catherwood as Assistant Finance Manager.
  
  We would also like to extend our (considerable) thanks to the dearly departed committee of Andy Hogpen, Kathryn Mapley and Rob Smith for their tireless efforts to keep the bar open and the drinks flowing.

Coming Soon...

• At some point in the next week Sidney Bar will be selling Cobra Beer on draft. Let us know what you think!
  
  Also, we will be getting in a barrel of a Guest Ale - Worts and All, in honour of our most famous alumni. Again, please let us know whether you enjoy it, and we might get the same again...or a different one.

New beers

• From tonight the bar will be selling Bud, Carling and Grolsch in bottles. Let us know what you think of these new additions and they may even hang around next term.

Bar Hand Over!

• Congratulations on the election of our new bar committee members! Andy Hogben is our new Bar Sec, Kathryn Mapley our new Finance Manager, and Rob Smith our new Assistant Finance Manager. We wish them well as Sidney Bar continues to prosper!

Position vacant

• If you may be interested in helping with the running of Sidney Bar, please get in touch with Martin Smith or Jamie Wilson, as the post of bar secretary is currently vacant.

Aspall's Suffolk Cyder

• Now here: the nation's tastiest cyder? Let us know what you think - if there's a good response, this might even appear on tap! Famed for their cyder vinegar, Aspall's have recently grown their cyder lines and are the second-fastest growing drinks manufacturer, after Sidney old boy's Cobra beer. Try some now to find out why!

The big night...

• Well, it's finally here! The bar opens its doors to all tonight, so do turn up - and meet the latest addition to the family, a specially brewed 'Porcupine ale'!
  Thanks are extended to everyone who spared a few minutes to help in the mad rush to be ready to open: not least Paul Esparon, Duncan Scholtes and Chris Barrow, to whom the committee are greatly indebted.

Working party

• With the bar opening imminently, and lots of work still to do before we can open, any willing volunteers would be gratefully appreciated! If you are able to spare an hour or two on Friday to help out in the bar, please let Martin (ms609) know, or drop by after 10am. Thanks!

Draft financial report

• The draft accounts for the past year have just been completed, and it is with great pleasure that we announce that the bar's debt to college has been reduced by almost £10,000, to £4010: the lowest level for almost a decade! Unreserved thanks to all those who opted in to the Bar Donations Fund, and to all those who have helped to make Sidney Bar what it is over the last year! I trust you'll join us in raising a celebratory glass when we re-open in October - with (he suggests tentatively) a wide range of welcome-back offers?

Shut for the summer

• The bar is now shut for the summer vacation. However, Martin will be around hatching plans for next year, so if there's anything at all you want to see in the bar when you get back (or, if you're a keen fresher checking out the website, when you arrive!), do leave a note on the comments page, or e-mail bar@sid.cam.etc!

Bar opening hours

• Just a reminder that the bar is once again open from 8PM.

Piper's Crisps

• As several people have asked me, I thought I'd better post up the gossip on the bar's current lack of Piper's crisps. Unfortunately we will not be re-stocking until next term, as a minimum order of 160 bags applies, and I'm not confident we could munch our way through those — as well as our abundant supply of other crispy delights — before term ends and they go out of date..
  However, I'd love to remind you that Mini Cheddars do provide a delicious alternative!

Nice price

• Our crack team of price-hunting specialists have crawled the streets of Cambridge in search of the cheapest drinks at our favourite establishments. Check out how Sidney compares on the posters in the bar now!

Server problems

• The SRCF appear to have been taking advantage of the bank holiday weekend by taking the opportunity to fiddle with their servers. Everything should now be back to normal. Ish.

Opening hours

• Sidney bar will begin serving at 8:45 P.M. until further notice. Students are welcome to use the JCR, which will be unlocked from around 8:15, for pool, darts or other recreational activities.

Slimline

• Due to popular demand, we're pleased to announce that Sidney Bar now stocks Slimline Tonic in addition to the calorific alternative... enjoy!
  

The figures...

• Sheets have been spread, Libra's had plenty to read, and much totting later we're finally able to present the profit figure from last term, for those who are interested.
  Net profit for Lent Term 2007 was: £2 500!
  After the college service charge of £700, and combined with a very generous suite of donations, this brings the debt level down to around £6 500 - its lowest level since 1999! Our thanks go out to all who have supported the bar in any way over the course of the year.

Re-opening

• Sidney Sussex College Bar will re-open for business on Saturday the 21st of April at 8pm prompt. Please feel free to sign up to work using the 'Rota' link; what better way to earn some quick cash before the loan comes through??

Site Maintenance

• Maintenance and improvement works on the site are now largely complete. If you do turn up any errors, please let us know via bar@sid.cam.etc.

All change, please

• And so another term ends and the committee rotates...
  The bar would like to express a huge thanks to Joe Rogers, our outgoing Staff Manager, whose outspoken dedication has kept the ales flowing and tasty despite often adverse conditions, and who has gone beyond the line of duty to help keep the bar a clean and pleasant drinking and working environment.
  He's left our new recruit, Jamie Wilson, with huge shoes to fill!

Bar Fixed Charge

• Today's open meeting resolved to levy a fixed charge on Sidney Students to pay off the bar debt.
  You can read more about it, and opt out, here.

Cocktails are back!

• I'm pleased to announce that in conjunction with Sidney Ents, the bar will be playing host to another cocktails evening TONIGHT (Monday 5th). Come along for the CUSU hustings at 7, hang around for the emergency open meeting at 9 (which I've firm assurance will take no more than three minutes), then loiter around at the back with a massively subsidised jug of joyous juices!

Bottles - Now cheaper!

• 'Premium' spirits recently moved down to the even better price of £1.20; and never ones to be left behind, some bottled beers have followed suit!
  
  So from today you'll be able to buy Carlsberg Export, Grolsch and Fosters for just £1.20 a bottle! Wowzah.

Scratchings are back!

• Apologies for their brief absence.

Kudos Post

• A belated word of respect to certain first- and second-year heroes for their 'pint of sweet challenges'. Thanks for clearing out our stocks!
  
     
  
  Now, anyone for a yard of Mini Cheddars?

Corky's

• Corky's Shooters are now available in the bar! We'll cycle through a range of tasty and exhilerating flavours. Only 90p a shot (35ml as ever) - Cor. Try them now!
  In other news, the return of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum is potentially on the cards. Watch this space!

The elephants are coming...

• Sidney Bar are pleased to announce the long-anticipated arrival of our newest bottled beer, Carlsberg 'Elephant'. At 7.2%, each bottle holds as much alcohol as a pint, whilst the delicious taste and compact size make for easy and economical drinking. At £1.40 a try you can't go wrong. This beer replaces Carlsberg Export, a quality alternative to Carlsberg 'on tap' which will remain available for a limited time only. Elephant will be available for purchase on Wednesday evening. Get there early to avoid the stampede!

• After over-hunting depleted our stocks, we're pleased to announce that after a successful breeding program - The elephants are back!

• Our reintroduction program has unfortunately met with mixed success.... I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Friday for more ivory. This time I'm going to order LOADS.

Weekly financial news

• As at least one person has read last week's financial update, and since I've spent the entire afternoon producing it, I thought I'd post another summary: according to our rough approximate estimates, our takings have soared up to £1950, of which around £390 is profit. That means the bar debt might now be as low as £7850! Thanks to all you cocktail drinkers for enjoying them so much...

• The quietest week of the term so far, we're about £315 better off, and the debt is tantalisingly close to the £7500 figure...

Red light district

• I keep meaning to restore Sidney's lighting scheme to its slightly less seedy underground former self, but have had a few positive comments that have made the lazy option of doing nothing very easy to take. So here's a quick appeal for your comments - a quick yes or no on the suggestions page would be much appreciated!
  It's your bar, have your say!*
  
  * no extra charge for cheesy slogans...

Cocktail night, reduced prices

• Thanks for the great turn-out at the cocktail night on Thursday! We've almost cleared out some of the old lines of spirits, which is good news for two reasons: Firstly, we can introduce shooters, which will arrive next Friday; Secondly, we can drop prices on a few of the spirits. Amaretto is down to 90p, Sambuca will shortly follow it; JD & Tequila will soon drop 10p to £1.20.

Big(gleswade) it up!

• Sidney bar are delighted to announce that we're the first bar in the country to stock Pipers newest flavour of crisps: Biggleswade Chilli. I can vouch for their deliciousness! We've also re-stocked on Salt & Somerset Cider Vinegar flavour. Get those mouths watering!

Financial update

• Another week, another stock check... For those of you that are interested, we've shaved (very approximately) £320 from the bar's debt to college this week, bringing the total down to £8600 (based on £10k at the start of term). Please appreciate that due to the nature of the methods used to generate these figures, they're rather inaccurate - but should give you a vague idea of what's going on.

• We made exactly 15p more profit this week than last - now that's what I call consistency! Debt is now around £8250.

Cheapest bar in Cambridge

• It brings me great pleasure to announce that we've overtaken Emma as Cambridge's cheapest place to drink! I propose a toast to celebrate...

A request from above

• Higher powers have requested a halt to special offers. The committee is lobbying hard for their return... you may have to console yourselves with a G&T (now £1.10) or pint of Carlsberg (down to £1.30) in the meantime!

Dropped lines

• Unfortunately, due to pressure from higher powers to reduce the amount of products stocked, some products will not be re-ordered. For various reasons it's difficult to restock such favourites as Malibu, Morgan's spiced, and Archer's. If you're outraged by the loss of your favourite bevvy, please post a comment - hopefully if enough people complain I'll be able to persuade college to let me find a way to keep these stocked.
  In other news, apologies for the current lack of mixers: Britvic are currently refusing to supply us; I've got crack teams all over the place working on the issue. Normal service may soon resume...

New web address

• Our website's moved to a snappier address, bar.sid.ucam.org. Bookmark us now to keep up to date!

Piper's Crisps

• Our good farming friends at Piper's have delivered their first batch of crisps, which as you may have guessed are one of our favourite things in the whole wide world.
  See what the fuss is about for only 65p! Large packs are £1.50, but if you buy them with a round of 3 or more Ales we'll cut them down to 65p for you...
  

Holiday Update

• It's been a busy holiday for the committee!
  
  First the changeover to the supplier found by Vikki, instigated by Mikey, has meant a lot of telephone calls and last-minute meetings, but the effort shall pay off with an improved product range and far lower prices!
  These have yet to be confirmed but you can investigate the preliminary price list if you wish.
  
  In the bar itself, back-breaking cleaning and some minor redecoration has been done, and some new decor is in the pipeline.
  
  With the unfortunate departure of the itbox, an mp3 player has been acquired for the bar - anyone wishing to contribute playlists should contact Martin (bar@sid.cam.etc) to get their music in the mix!
  
  And of course I could go on with all the little bits and bobs - the bar should now be a much nicer working and drinking environment for all!
  
  

Thanks to our sponsors

We're indebted to our kind sponsors at GeoLogic, the best place to buy cheap and handy geological hammers! Rock.