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branch
awards
Pub
of the Year 2013 - England
 Brewery
Tap, Lower Bridge Street, Chester
Retaining
its crown from the previous year, the Brewery Tap was
the inspiration of Spitting Feathers brewery who had the
vision to revitalise this abandoned one-time Jacobean great
hall and, as such, earn themselves award recognition from
English Heritage. Inside is a high roofed, candle-lit, simply
furnished main bar and cosier adjacent room. A kitchen at the
rear caters for diners while Spitting Feathers ales usually
feature on the counter plus several changing beers.
Previous:
Brewery Tap, Chester / Telford's Warehouse, Chester (2012
joint); Pied Bull, Chester (2011); Brewery Tap, Chester
(2010); Old Harkers Arms, Chester (2009); Blue Bell,
Tushingham (2008); Old Harkers Arms, Chester (2007); Bunbury
Arms, Stoak (2006)
►
Brewery
Tap
........................................................................................................
Pub of the Year 2013 - Wales
 Royal
Oak, Wrexham
Known locally as "The Embassy" due
to its association with the Free Polish Army garrison during WW2, things had
become a bit extreme for the Royal Oak by 2007. It was then a very run down, seedy bar known as
the Ambasada serving bottled Polish lagers to migrant workers. Luckily
Market Drayton based brewers Joules took over the reins and, after a
marvellous restoration which involved installation of wood-panelling, etched
mirrors and stained glass, the Royal Oak re-opened in 2009 serving cask
beer. Nowadays you'll find the Joules range on the handpumps as well as a
free-to-choose guest ale (recent examples being from Salopian, Ossett,
Titanic and Waen) plus Weston's Old Rosie cider. Congrats to Tracey and
Sean.
Previous:
Bridge End, Ruabon
(2012-10 inc.); Sun,
Llangollen (2009); Peal o'Bells, Holt (2008); Rose & Crown, Graianrhyd
(2007 & 2006)
►
Royal
Oak
........................................................................................................
 Pub of the Season: Spring
201
3
Glynne
Arms,
Hawarden
Re-opened in
impressive style in May 2012 retaining many features of the original 200-year-old coaching inn
plus some admirably quirky decor. It serves up to five, generally locally
sourced guest ales.
► Glynne
Arms
Previous: n/a
(2012);
Stamford Bridge, nr
Tarvin (2011); n/a (2010); n/a (2009); Corn Mill, Llangollen (2008); n/a
(2007); Griffin,
Gresford (2006)
........................................................................................................
 Pub
of the Season: Winter 2013
Royal Oak,
Wrexham
Narrow town centre pub owned by the Market Drayton based Joules
Brewery. Worth a visit to see the wood-panelling, etched mirrors and stained
glass windows as well as sampling the Joules beers.
Now branch Pub of the Year 2013 !!!
Previous: Ffrwd,
Cefn-y-Bedd (2012),
Pied Bull, Chester (2011); Black Lion, Bersham (2010); Brewery
Tap, Chester (2009); Carlton
Tavern, Handbridge (2008); Ship Victory, Chester (2007)
........................................................................................................
 Pub
of the Season: Autumn 2012
Royal Oak,
Hoole, Chester
Despite its modern décor and appearance the Lodge Bar, with
its competitive pricing policy and enlightened selection of changing guest beers, attracts plenty of cask ale drinkers
thus ensuring a timely consumption of the goods on offer. It also shows a
bar doesn’t have to be of the traditional ‘Olde Worlde’ ilk in order
to win awards or, more importantly, provide a good experience for the
customers.
Previous: Bawn Lodge,
Hoole
(2011); Royal
Oak, Wrexham
(2010); Bridge Inn, Boughton (2009); n/a
(2008); Nag's Head, Lavister (2007); Peal
o'Bells, Holt (2006)
........................................................................................................
 Pub
of the Season: Summer 2012
Goshawk,
Mouldsworth
A red-brick former coaching inn belonging to the real ale minded
Woodward & Falconer chain. Convenient for walks in the nearby Delamere
Forest and handily located opposite Mouldsworth train station, the pub
typically serves Brimstage Piffle, ales from Weetwood plus guest ales. If
the beer and highly rated food don't tempt you to call in there's also an
attractive rear garden and side decking over looking a crown bowling green.
►
The
Goshawk
Previous:
Old Cottage, Chester
(2011); n/a
(2010); Queen's
Head, Sarn (2009); Sun, Eryrys
(2008); Pheasant, Higher Burwardsley
(2007); Willey Moor Lock Tavern, nr. Whitchurch (2006)
........................................................................................................
FOOTNOTES:
Pub of
the Year is our top award and goes to the pub that we believe
has been consistently the best over the previous year. The
criteria for winning is not just for beer quality but for
other factors too - value for money, diversity of customers,
sympathy with CAMRA aims and community spirit for
example. The pubs are assessed on these categories by
individual branch members and then submitted by a specified
deadline.
Our branch is quite unsual in having two Pub of the Year
awards. Straddling the border means we are allowed to have
both an English and a Welsh winner. These then go forward into
the voting for the Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales
Regional Pub of the Year. The winners from each region then
progress into the national voting to decide the overall CAMRA
Pub of the Year.
Constitutionally no pub can win the award more than three
years running.
Other
awards are on an ad hoc basis, again decided by a vote within
the branch based on earlier nominations. Unlike the annual award there is no set criteria for a pub to
meet in order to win. It is awarded at the discretion of the branch
and several recipients have since gone on further to win our Pub of the Year
award.
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