CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has announced the four pubs making it into the final of its National Pub of the Year competition for 2012.
CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition is judged by CAMRA’s 145,000 members. Each of the 200 CAMRA branches vote for their favourite pub. The branch winners are entered into 16 regional competitions, with the 16 winners then battling it out to reach these final stages. CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition has been going on throughout 2012, with local and regional judging rounds leading to these final stages.
Pubs are scored by CAMRA members on the aspects which make up a great pub, including its community focus, service and welcome, atmosphere, decor, value for money, but – most importantly for the judges – the quality of the real ale served.
This year’s finalists:
– Bridge End Inn, Ruabon (5 Bridge Street, Wrexham, LL14 6DA)
– Conqueror Alehouse, Ramsgate (4C Grange Road, Kent, CT11 9LR)
– Baum, Rochdale (33-37 Toad Lane, Greater Manchester, OL12 0NU)
– Tom Cobley Tavern, Spreyton (Devon, EX17 5AL)
The current national champion, the Bridge End Inn, in Ruabon, Wrexham, has continued its remarkable success in CAMRA’s flagship competition, featuring once again in the final.
Peter McGivern, Bridge End Inn licensee, said:
“We are extremely pleased to see how a year after our success as the overall winner in the competition, we are judged to be keeping up our high standards. It’s a great credit to the staff and everyone involved in the pub that things are going well, we aren’t being complacent, and we are working to a high level all the time.
With the overall winner of CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition to be announced in February 2013, Julian Hough, CAMRA Pubs Director, spoke of the quality of the four finalists. He said:
“Uniquely this year, all four are diverse in terms of size and business model. These pubs exemplify how combining first quality real ale, listening to the needs of their customer and community base, supporting local breweries, and paying attention to detail can drive trade.”