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CAMRA Pub of the Year 2011
The Campaign for Real Ale has announced the four finalists of its National Pub of the Year competition for 2011. The competition has been going on throughout 2011, with local and regional judging rounds leading to these final stages. Pubs are scored by CAMRA on various aspects, including the atmosphere, decor, customer service, value for money, clientele mix, and of course on the quality of the beer.
With The Harp in Covent Garden the present national champion, finalists from Bedfordshire, north Wales, Cornwall and Lancashire are all battling it out for the 2011 title.
Julian Hough, CAMRA pubs director, said: "It's great to see four finalists which haven't featured at this stage of the competition over the last decade, as this shows just how many exemplary community pubs remain across Britain."
The winner is to be officially announced mid-February 2012 but in the meantime, here is a glance at the four finalists:
Engineers Arms
Henlow, Bedfordshire
www.engineersarms.co.uk
CAMRA says: "This lively two-bar pub in the centre of the village is a must for real ale fans, with 10 handpumps featuring a wide range and style of beers. There are also five ciders and a perry on offer, typically from Westons. The bar room walls are covered in pictures dedicated to local history, sports stars and brewery memorabilia."
Kevin Machin, Engineers Arms licensee, says: "We are elated to have reached the final four, and it's a great honour. Everyone's so excited around here that we've reached this stage of the competition. We were delighted just to have won the title of best pub in East Anglia."
Bridge End Inn
Ruabon, Wrexham
www.mcgivernales.co.uk
CAMRA says: "This former coaching inn close to the station has been completely revitalised since it was taken over by the McGivern family in 2009. It has proved so popular with locals and real ale aficionados from further afield that it was voted CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year in 2010."
Peter McGivern, Bridge End Inn licensee, says: "We are genuinely chuffed to be in the final, being a small family business having only taken over the pub two and a half years ago. Our bar staff here are dedicated to knowing about their beer, and how to look after it, and we have an ever changing range, with over 100 different microbrewers on show on our pumps each year."
Front
Falmouth, Cornwall
CAMRA says: "Tucked away in a corner of the picturesque Custom House Quay, this small cellar-style pub with low-vaulted ceiling lies below Trago Mills store. A popular student haunt, a whole range of live entertainment is on offer during the evenings- folk, shanty singers, open mike and more. Guest beers constantly vary to provide a year-round beer festival. There's no food, but you may bring your own from various nearby outlets."
Matt Reay, Front general manager, says: "It's a quite unbelievable achievement for us bearing in mind we are only a little bar on the waterfront. We put so much work into serving our beer in tip top condition, and we are dedicated to giving good service to our customers, and providing a great atmosphere."
Swan with Two Necks
Pendleton, Lancashire
www.swanwithtwonecks.co.uk
CAMRA says: "A true local in every sense, with a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and traditional, home-cooked food with ingredients from local suppliers. The licensees are both CAMRA members and are celebrating their 25th anniversary running the pub. Four handpumps regularly feature beers from George Wright and Phoenix, and sometimes also from one of the local micro-breweries. Westons cider is a standard here. Rosie the cat is a local legend, as is the vast collection of teapots."
Christine Dilworth, Swan with Two Necks proprietor, says: "We have never been recognised like this before, so to reach these final stages is fantastic. We are a village establishment, and there is a real buzz around the community, with new people from across Britain coming to visit the pub in light of our success. Being the national winner would cap a great 25 years running the pub!"
