CAMRA Announces Local Awards
Pub of the Year
CAMRA North Bedfordshire’s Pub of the Year 2008 is the Wellington Arms , Wellington Street, Bedford. The pub has been operated since 1998 by B&T Brewery of Shefford and is a firm favourite with local real ale drinkers.
Managed for the first nine years by Eric Mills and since last May by Royston Beer and Lesley Griffin , the “Wellie” has become one of the leading local pubs for quality real ale. With a row of 14 handpumps lining the entire bar, it offers a constantly changing variety of guest ales, mainly from micro-breweries, as well as a selection of B&T’s own beers and two real ciders. It is also a well-known venue for quality bottled and draught beers from Belgium and other European countries.
The pub is open all day every day from 12 noon, although food is limited to filled rolls on weekdays. The Wellington Arms has won the branch Pub of the Year title five times before – every year from 2000 to 2004.
A framed certificate will be formally presented to the pub on Monday 19th May.
Meanwhile, CAMRA’s South Beds and East Beds branches have selected the Globe, Dunstable, and the Engineers Arms, Henlow, as their respective Pubs of the Year 2008. All three pubs are worthy winners, but they now compete head on for the Bedfordshire county title and entry into CAMRA’s national Pub of the Year competition.
The Wellington Arms won the East Anglia regional title in 2001 and the Engineers Arms followed in 2003, but no Bedfordshire pub has yet won the national award – so there is much to play for!
B&T Brewery also deserves congratulations for two of its three pubs – the Globe and the Wellington Arms – winning local Pub of the Year awards in the same year.
Most Improved Pub
CAMRA North Beds is also making a Most Improved Pub award to the White Horse , Newnham Avenue, Bedford. Until a few years ago a faded, 1930s suburban beer and games house, the White Horse got a major make-over by Charles Wells and has since established itself as an excellent pub diner, offering quality Wells & Young’s and guest beers, and providing a good range of home-prepared meals.
The pub now does a brisk trade in good value food, with a regular Sunday roast and occasional theme evenings. There are regular quiz nights and live music, and areas of the through bar can be booked for parties.
Under licensees Nigel and Sue Anstead and their hard-working staff, the White Horse has already earned several local business awards. It offers an excellent model for what can be done for a neglected pub with a bit of investment, a lick of paint and determined leadership from able entrepreneurs.
Congratulations to Nigel, Sue and their team at the White Horse for creating a fine pub that has earned itself a well-deserved reputation for high quality real ales.
A framed certificate will be formally presented to the pub on Monday 19th May.
Innovation award
To mark an exceptional initiative, CAMRA North Beds will also make a special Innovation Award to the Charles Wells Pub Company for re-opening the Bedford Arms in Bromham Road, Bedford, in May last year, as one of its first Speciality Beer Houses. A down-market town centre pub that had seen much better days was refurbished and re-opened with an emphasis on real ales.
The pub is well supplied with handpumps and offers a changing range of guest ales as well as Wells & Young’s regular range. With landlord Eric Mills at the helm, the pub has quickly gained a reputation as one of the best real ale pubs in town.
Although hot and cold lunches are available, the pub is essentially a centre for beer, conversation and meeting friends, like most pubs used to be. In fine weather, the neat garden at the rear provides a relaxed outdoor drinking area. Five regular and six changing guest beers are available, plus a range of quality bottled and draught beers from Belgian and other European countries.
The Pub Company has also re-launched the Golden Pheasant in Biggleswade as a Speciality Beer House. The company may consider converting suitable pubs in other town centres into a similar style.
A framed certificate will be presented to the Company on a date to be arranged.
For further information, contact:
Peter Argyle
01234 822698
nbcamra@peterargyle.plus.com
Further information about CAMRA North Bedfordshire is available online at
www.northbedscamra.org.uk
About CAMRA
CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale – is a voluntary consumer organisation founded in 1971 to represent the interests of beer drinkers and other pub users. It encourages support for traditional cask ales and coined the term “real ale” to describe beer made from malt, hops, water and yeast, allowed to mature naturally in the pub cellar and served to the customer without the use of applied gas. It also campaigns for the survival and success of the traditional British pub, for diversity in the UK brewing industry and for the interests of the consumer. www.camra.org.uk
