CAMRA's Best Pubs in Wales 2014

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has announced their list of over 200 Local Pubs of the Year to help launch April’s Community Pubs Month and none of them smell of fish!
CAMRA’s branches, which consist of thousands of volunteers, judge all of the pubs in their area to find their Branch’s Local Pub of the Year. Pubs are judged on their decor, value for money, customer service, that they appeal to all different demographics and of course, the quality of its real ale. The local branch winners then go forward to battle it out in the regional heats in their quest to become National Pub of the Year, announced in early 2015. Colin Valentine, CAMRA Chairman said, “I would like to thank all of the volunteers that have judged pubs up and down the country. This can take a lot of dedication to find the best real ale pubs in the area. We like to announce the winners in Community Pubs Month to highlight the best pubs Britain has to offer to help raise the profile of pub-going.
New research shows 28 pubs close every week across Britain and 38% of British adults no longer visit pubs. Community Pubs Month has been launched to help raise the profile of the British pub and pub-going. Thousands of pubs across the Britain will be participating in this campaign by organising events and trying new marketing initiatives to attract more trade during April.
Mr Valentine continued, “There are literally thousands of wonderful pubs that need our support at this moment in time and I would urge everyone to visit their local pub in April and discuss with the licensee ways he or she could encourage you to visit more regularly.” Local winners in Wales are:
Wales Branches Pubs of the Year
Abercolwyn Albion Ale House Conwy
Chester & South Clwyd Bridge End Ruabon
Gwynedd a Mon Snowdonia Park Waenfawr
Vale of Clwyd Halcyon Quest Prestatyn
Brecknockshire Star Inn Talybont
Cardiff Landsdowne Canton, Cardiff
Gwent (Country) Clytha Arms Clytha, Raglan
Gwent (Town) Coach & Horses Chepstow
Mid Glamorgan Fagin's Ale & Chop House Glan-y-Lynn, Taffs Well
Neath-Port Talbot Pontadawe Inn Pontadawe
Swansea Pilot Mumbles
Vale of Glamorgan & Bridgend Red Fox Penllwyn

CAMRA Pub of the Year

The Baum, Rochdale, Lancashire has been crowned the best pub in Britain by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.
CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition recognises all the criteria that make a great pub, including atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix, but most importantly, the quality of the beer.

The building, which sits next door to the Pioneers Museum, which is the original Co-op store, has only been a pub for around 30 years and was converted from Morris’s Hardware Store in the 1980’s. The name Baum is pronounced 'Bome' so as to rhyme with 'Home'.

Simon Crompton, one of the owners, started work in The Baum in 1993 and became manager in 1994. In 2005, Simon and his wife Heidi, who co-owns the business, bought the pub just two days after having their first child.

On hearing the news, Heidi Crompton said, “We were ecstatic to hear that we had been voted CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year. We are very proud of the team that have played an important role in The Baum’s success and it is a testament to their hard work that the consumers have recognised our pub with this prestigious award.”

Heidi continued, “We are a family run pub with our values influencing every aspect of the business in relationships with our staff and suppliers. We are dedicated to the ‘buy local, shop local’ initiative, always willing to support independent businesses. The support from the regular customers and local CAMRA members is valued and we would like to thank everyone for their continued support.”

CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2013 describes the pub as “A split-level hostelry with old world charm next door to the world’s first co-operative store. The Baum has eight handpumps, one dedicated to cider, and a large variety of continental bottled beers. Excellent food includes vegetarian dishes, with a tapas menu available throughout the week. There is an upstairs dining / function room. The large rear garden, over looked by a conservatory, contains two full-size pétanque pistes.”

CAMRA’s Pubs Director, Julian Hough was delighted with this year’s winner and said, “I would like to congratulate Simon, Heidi and all of the staff at The Baum on winning CAMRA’s national award. This close to town pub has a winning formula which is well supported by customers. The range of quality products and their fresh modern approach means I’m delighted to crown The Baum our National Pub of the Year. Go and see it for yourself and experience what a brilliant pub it is”.

Peter Alexander, Chairman of Rochdale, Oldham and Bury CAMRA said, "Clearly we are absolutely thrilled that the Baum has been chosen as CAMRA's National Pub of the Year. While we locally know how good a pub the Baum is, it is fantastic to have this confirmed by senior judges who have never visited it before. Given that the Baum was up against some tremendously fierce competition, Simon and Heidi have done a tremendous job. There is no higher accolade in pub awards and we in the local CAMRA branch are very proud to have Britain's best pub in our area. "

The presentation of the National Pub of the Year competition will take place at The Baum, 33-37 Toad Lane, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL12 0NU on Wednesday 13th February at 1pm.
The three other finalists were:

· Bridge End Inn, Ruabon, Wales – winner of CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year last year and the first Welsh winner of this award. Taken over by the McGivern family in 2009, it sells five different real ales.
Address – 5 Bridge Street, Ruabon, Wrexham, LL14 6DA

· Conqueror Alehouse, Ramsgate, Kent – Ramsgate’s smallest free house, where ale and cider are served straight from barrels. It offers a quiet, music and TV free atmosphere in which to enjoy a pint or two.
Address – 4C Grange Road, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9LR
· Tom Cobley Tavern, Spreyton, Devon – a former CAMRA National Pub of the Year in 2006, it sells 14 different real ales every week, plus 20 ciders in a pub that is ‘part of community life’.
Address – off A3124 in Spreyton Village, EX17 5AL

Cardiff Pub of the Year 2013

Members of Cardiff Branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) have judged that their 2013 Pub of the Year award goes to the Gwaelod Y Garth Inn situated on the northern outskirts of the City. The pub was voted for by the hundreds of volunteer members who go to make up the Cardiff Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

Located at the 'foot of the mountain' (translated to Gwaelod-y-Garth), the Gwaelod Inn was originally part of the Marquess of Bute's estate and the village and mountain were the inspiration for the book and film “The Englishman who went up a hill and came down a mountain”. The hillside pub features an excellent selection of ales and a great menu as well as being the hub of village life.
An on-site brewery has recently been installed; the Violet Cottage Brewery, located in the cottage at the rear of the pub and the real ales produced are going down well with visitors and locals alike.
Barbara, wife of licensee and brewer Richard Angell, said, “It’s an honour to once again be recognised by CAMRA. We must be doing something right”.

Branch secretary Brian Francis said, “This is not the first time that the inn has won a CAMRA award and the new brewery has helped them offer an even greater choice of ales reflecting local tastes. In our opinion it has done a tremendous amount to further CAMRA’s cause. Although the pub is situated on the outskirts of the city it is well worth the visit for the excellent ale and atmosphere on offer”.

CAMRA are also pleased to announce their runners up 'highly commended pubs' are the Deri in Rhiwbina and the City Arms in Quay Street, which won last year.
The presentation of the award will be on Friday 1 February at 7.30p.m and all are welcome to join in the celebration.

Gwaelod Y Garth Inn, 
Main Road,
Gwaelod-y-Garth,
Cardiff,
CF15 9HH
029 20810408

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Best Pubs in Wales

CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, have today announced the best pubs in Wales, as judged by local members of the organisation. All this for a start of a new campaign, Community Pubs Month, which celebrates the diversity of our local pubs.

In Wales, over 360 pubs have signed up to take part in Community Pubs Month. As the first ever year for this new campaign, Community Pubs Month has been organised to promote pubs as invaluable community assets, and outlets which vast numbers of local people across the UK rely upon so heavily during their daily lives.

In a bid to showcase the diversity and innovation of Britain’s locals at the start of Community Pubs Month, CAMRA has also released a roll call of its local pubs of the year for the first time. Voted for by members of CAMRA’s 200+ local branches, these winners will now go on to compete in regional rounds, with one pub eventually going on to be crowned CAMRA's National Pub of the Year early next year. The local winners are arranged by CAMRA branch areas and are:

Abercolwyn- Pen-y-Bryn, Colwyn Bay   

Chester & South Clwyd- Bridge End Inn, Ruabon  

            

Vale of Clwyd- Oak, Hendre       

Gwynedd a Mon- Snowdonia Park, Waenfawr  

Ceredigion - Y Talbot, Tregaron

Carmarthenshire - Plash, Llanfallteg

Brecknockshire - Star Inn, Talybont

Cardiff - City Arms, Cardiff

Gwent-

- Country POTY - Star Inn, Llanfihangel Tor-y-Mynydd

- Town POTY - Coach & Horses, Chepstow

Mid Glamorgan - Red Cow, Aberdare

Neath & Port Talbot- Ancient Briton, Pen-y-Cae

Swansea - Village Inn, Killay

Vale of Glamorgan- Vale of Glamorgan, Cowbridge

To coincide with the beginning of Community Pubs Month and to show the vital importance of pubs to society, CAMRA has released new research revealing just under 9 in 10 (89%) young pub going UK adults (aged 18-24 years old) visit their local pub to meet friends and socialise.

To further reinforce the community importance of local pubs, other findings found how over 1 in 3 UK adults (36%) say their local community uses their pub for events such as weddings, christenings and funerals. CAMRA even polled currently married couples – who visit pubs regularly – and found 1 in 4 (25%) first met their partner/spouse down the pub!

Commenting on the new research on the opening day of Community Pubs Month, Mike Benner, CAMRA Chief Executive, said:

‘Pubs are the beating hearts of countless communities across the land, and without their existence, society would be a lot worse off.

 ‘With the launch of Community Pubs Month, CAMRA is urging local communities this April to back their local licensees and give them the support they need during these difficult economic times. Pubs are the original social networking sites, and will continue to provide an invaluable community service as long as they are used by the local people that surround them.’

Best pub in Britain is Welsh

For the first time ever a Welsh pub wins CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year!

-Revived village local, Bridge End Inn, Ruabon, scoops CAMRA national title 
-Pubs from Bedfordshire, Cornwall and Lancashire make up other finalists

WINNER: Bridge End Inn, 5 Bridge Street, Ruabon, Wrexham, LL14 6DA, 01978 810881
PRESENTATION (AT THE VENUE): Friday February 10^th 2012, 1pm

A small community pub in north Wales transformed by a local family has today been announced as the best pub in Britain by CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale.

The Bridge End Inn, Ruabon, not only enters CAMRA’s history books as the first ever Welsh pub to win its National Pub of the Year competition, but having only been re-opened by its current owners in March 2009, becomes one of the most remarkable success stories in the competition’s history.

CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition recognises all the criteria that make a great pub, including atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix, but most importantly, the quality of the beer.

The Bridge End Inn was taken over and subsequently revitalised by the McGivern family in 2009, with the pub earmarked as the ideal premises for the family microbrewery – McGivern Ales - overseen by son Matthew. Having reopened the pub 5 weeks after taking it on, the McGivern family were praised by CAMRA members for restoring the pub’s interior, and for introducing an extensive real ale and cider range.

Now serving 7 real ales and a selection of local ciders at any one time, the pub has stocked real ales from over 100 breweries since opening, with a particular emphasis on local produce. As well as acting as the brewery tap for McGivern Ales, other breweries from north Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire feature prominently at the bar.

Peter McGivern, Bridge End Inn licensee, said:

‘We are a family business, and the pub has been a real labour of love. What we strived to do was create a pub not focused on food that we would enjoy visiting, putting the product first and offering a wide range of traditional beer styles. As a result we’ve built up a mixed trade of locals and beer lovers from all over Britain.

‘We are delighted with this national award, particularly as we were told when first taking on the pub that there was little demand for real ale in the area. Through a lot of passion and hard work for what we do, we’ve enjoyed great success in a short space of time, which couldn’t have been achieved without the support of family, close friends, staff and customers.’

Hailing the success of the pub, Julian Hough, CAMRA Pubs Director, said:

‘The pub is an unbelievable success story, and is a perfect case study of a local outlet playing a pivotal role at the heart of a small community. By investing time into providing a quality beer range full of choice, the pub in a short space of time has become revered across Britain by many beer lovers. I offer my personal congratulations to the Bridge End Inn for such rapid progression in taking CAMRA’s national pub title.’

The presentation of the National Pub of the Year competition will take place at the Bridge End Inn on Friday February 10^th 2012, at 1pm. 

The Bridge End Inn beat 3 other finalists this year to claim the crown. These pubs are-

Engineers Arms, 68 High Street, Henlow, Bedfordshire, SG16 6AA
Tel. 01462 812284, 

Front, Custom House Quay, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 3JT
Tel. 01326 212168

Swan with Two Necks, Main Street, Pendleton, Lancashire, BB7 1PT
Tel. 01200 423112,