Best pubs in Wales

The votes are in and have been counted for Wales Online Best Pub in Wales, top 30 below:
The top 30 in full:
1.Ty Coch Inn, Porthdinllaen
2. Plough and Harrow, Monknash
3. The Coach, Bridgend
4. Ship and Castle, Aberystwyth
5. Kings Head Inn, Llangennith
6. City Arms, Cardiff
7. Y Mochyn Du, Cardiff
8. The Gwaelod-y-Garth Inn, Gwaelod-y-Garth
9. The Star Inn, Treoes
10. Blue Anchor Inn, Aberthaw
11. Urban Tap House, Cardiff
12. Harbourmaster Hotel, Aberaeron
13. Black Boy Inn, Caernarfon
14. The Pelican in her Piety, Ogmore
15. The Star inn, Talybont on Usk
16. The Pentre Arms, Llangrannog
17. The Bush Inn, St Hilary
18. Bunch of Grapes, Pontypridd
19. Old Swan Inn, Llantwit Major
20. The Sloop, Porthgain
21. The Goat Major, Cardiff
22. Uplands Tavern, Swansea
23. The Pilot, Mumbles
24. The Bear Hotel, Crickhowell
25. The Worms Head Hotel, Rhossili
26. The Lansdowne, Cardiff
27. The Ship Inn, Tresaith
28. The Ship, Llangrannog
29. Rummer Tavern, Cardiff
30. The Queens Hotel, Swansea

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/food-drink/best-pubs-wales-your-vote-6864231

CAMRA Budget response

CAMRA celebrates another brilliant budget for
British beer drinkers
“CAMRA is delighted to see the Chancellor
implementing an unprecedented second
consecutive cut of a penny in beer duty. This is
not only about keeping the price of a pint
affordable in British pubs but helping an
industry which has been in overall decline
continue on its long road to recovery. CAMRA
cares greatly about the future of the Great
British pub and it is clear from this Budget
announcement that the Government do too.
“Keeping the price of a pint affordable is vital
for the long-term health of the pub sector and
CAMRA would hope this latest vote of
confidence in British pubs will go some way to
slowing the rate of closures, by encouraging
more people to make use of their local this
summer.
“No doubt many of CAMRA’s 160,000 members
will be raising a glass to the Chancellor this
evening to toast another brilliant Budget for
British beer drinkers.”
Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive

Aberdare to get a beer Festival!

The town of Aberdare is to get a beer festival in May, on the Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th May 2014. The Market Tavern Pub are hosting the Main Event with support from Grey Trees Brewery. The Marquee will be situated in the Centre of Aberdare in the Market Tavern Car Park.

Brains Brewer gets on his bike to bring beer to boozers!

BRAINS SAVES MATCH DAY WITH BEER SOS BIKE
Brains – the official ale of the WRU – is set to cycle casks of SA through Cardiff city centre tomorrow (15th), ensuring no Brains pub runs dry on match day. Brains has turned a baker’s bike into a brewer’s bike, featuring a specially adapted rack to carry a cask of beer.
The bike embarked on a ‘trial run’ yesterday, but will take to the city centre streets on Saturday, ahead of Wales v Scotland.
Bill Dobson, head brewer at Brains, said: “The Six Nations is bigger for us than Christmas and some of our pubs sell a week’s worth of beer in one match day alone. Because a pint of Brains and a visit to a Brains pub have always gone hand in hand with international rugby in Wales, we’d hate to disappoint fans by running short of Wales’ best loved beer. “The Brains SOS bike will be on standby on Saturday for pubs who need an emergency beer order – the perfect match day solution!”
Jon Adams, manager at the Yard, said,“Match day is incredibly busy so it’s great the brewery is putting on these SOS deliveries to keep fans in stock of SA.”
Bill took the Brains SOS bike on the ‘trial run’ yesterday (13th March) and will be on call to make deliveries on Saturday, adding “Fans can track the progress of the bike on Twitter by following the hashtag #BeerSOS”.

Vote for your favourite pub in Wales

Use the link below to pop over to Wales Online and vote for your favourite Welsh pub - the shortlist now stands at 86!
Oh and there's an interview with me in the Bell in Caerleon as well!

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/best-pubs-wales-now-you-6767647

Now & Then, former Royal Oak, Newport

Former Royal Oak, Newport The Royal Oak on the corner of Chepstow Road and Royal Oak Hill was demolished in 1981 by Welsh Brewers who replaced it with the Toby Carvery that is still on the site today. A building on this site is named Royal Oak on the OS Map of 1830. In recent years the pub has been marketed as 'Toby Carvery at the Coldra', despite being half a mile away from the Coldra!