Two pubs to share CAMRA Best Cider & Perry Pub title
Two pubs, one in Cumbria and one in Hull, are to share this year’s National Cider and Perry Pub of the year title, as competition organisers said it was “impossible” to separate the two winners.
The Prince of Wales in Foxfield, Cumbria and the Hop & Vine in Hull have both been awarded the title out of 120 hopefuls, by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), which described them as “worthy winners”.
Competition organiser Sarah Newson said: “We judge the nominated pubs in a similar way to CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year competition but with an emphasis on the promotion of real cider and perry and having enthusiastic staff who knows what’s real and what’s not.
“We had some very good entries this year but it was impossible to separate the two winners. The Prince of Wales and the Hop & Vine are doing a fantastic job raising the profile of real cider and perry and offering consumers a fine choice at the bar.
Ciders
In the last year the Hop & Vine has served 63 different ciders and perries, while The Prince of Wales has sold more than 50.
Both pubs were presented with their awards by CAMRA today.
Stuart Johnson, licensee of the Prince of Wales said, “We are amazed that a pub in Cumbria has won this national award for real cider and perry. Both real cider and real perry play a major role in the success of our pub.”
Opportunity
Andrea Briers, CAMRA’s cider and perry campaigning chair said today how offering real cider and perry help pubs survive in these tough times for the pub industry.
She said: “With almost 40 pubs closing every month, pubs need to look at a variety of different ways to differentiate themselves from the others in the area. Real cider and perry has been growing in popularity at CAMRA beer festivals in recent years and we now have a huge demand for these drinks.
“Offering consumers a range of real cider and perry could, like what real ale has done for a large number of pubs in the past, drive more trade into pubs in these tough economic times.”
CAMRA has also announced their best cider & perry pubs for each region:
Central Southern – Rising Sun, Berkhamsted
East Anglia – Odd One Out, Colchester
East Midlands – Arkwright Arms, Sutton-cum-Duckmanton, Derbyshire
Greater London – Southampton Arms, Kentish Town
Greater Manchester – Cheshire Ring, Hyde
Kent – Berry, Walmer (also a Finalist in the National competition)
Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales – Appleton Thorn Village Hall, Appleton Thorn, Cheshire
North East - Cumberland Arms, Byker, Tyne & Wear
Scotland & Northern Ireland – Blackfriars, Inverness
South & Mid Wales – Bunch of Grapes, Pontypridd (also a Finalist in the National competition)
South West – Orchard, Bristol
Surrey & Sussex – Crossways Inn, Churt, Surrey
Wessex & Channels Isles – Florence Arms, Southsea
West Midlands – Coopers Tavern, Burton-on-Trent
West Pennines – Prince of Wales, Foxfield, Cumbria
Yorkshire – Hop & Vine, Hull
