Pub of the Year voting opens for 2024
Media release
For immediate release
13 January 2023
Time to vote for St Helens and District CAMRA Pub of the Year.
It’s that time of year again when real ale drinkers across St Helens get to decide on which is the best real ale pub in St Helens and surrounding areas.
Eight local establishments have been shortlisted for St Helens CAMRA Pub of the Year award*, including last year’s winner The Turks Head. It’s now down to CAMRA members to come out and vote for who they think deserves the accolades for 2024.
The St Helens and Districts CAMRA Pub of the Year can be voted for by all CAMRA members registered with the branch. The pubs that made the cut were shortlisted based on ‘WhatPub’ beer scoring – which can be carried out by any CAMRA member visiting our pubs during the year. Out of the 70 pubs listed by St Helens CAMRA, the eight shortlisted are those with the best accumulated scores throughout the year – where people visiting those pubs have scored the beer they are drinking.
Ian Pye, Pubs Officer for St Helens and District CAMRA said: “The voting for Pub of the Year is open to all St Helens and District CAMRA members and I’d encourage anyone who is a member to get out there and vote.
“The only way a pub can be shortlisted for the competition is if CAMRA members who drink in the pubs score the beers regularly on ‘WhatPub’. Members can then take part in the final scoring for Pub of the Year, where they must visit and score each pub on the shortlist using the same criteria to make it a fair competition. The scores will then be added up to determine who wins Pub of the Year.
“St Helens and the surrounding districts has a thriving real ale scene and it’s vital that we keep supporting our pubs as they struggle with the pressures post-covid and the cost of living.
“Given the last few difficult years for the pub industry, it’s vital that people get out there and support our pubs and clubs to make sure they continue being a focus in the community for years to come.”
The scoring forms are available to download online, or available at any of the shortlisted pubs.
All venues need to be scored to make them eligible for consideration for Pub of the Year. Once all venues have been visited and scored people can drop their form into the box provided at the final pub they visit. Alternatively, they can return it via email (poty@sthelenscamra.org.uk) or hand in in person at the committee meeting on 13th March (venue TBC)
CAMRA members are asked to visit each pub on the shortlist and score it out of 10 for eight areas:
- quality and condition of real ale
- Promotion and knowledge of real ale
- Cleanliness and staff hygiene
- Service, welcome and offering
- Style, décor and furnishings
- Community focus and atmosphere
- Sympathy with CAMRA’s aims
- Overall impression and value
The quality of ale score is weighted so that it counts as ‘double’. These are then all counted and compiled to decide the Pub of the Year and Club of the Year for St Helens and Districts CAMRA area. This is also the first step in the shortlisting process that ultimately leads to CAMRA National Pub of the Year selection.
*Those shortlisted for PUB OF THE YEAR are: The Beer EnGin (Whiston), Cricketers Arms (Town Centre), The Commercial (Rainhill), The Lamb Inn, The Newsroom, Royal Alfred, Skew Bridge Alehouse, (Rainhill) and Turks Head (Town Centre)
Note to editor:
About the National Award:
- CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year is the annual competition to find the very best pub in the UK. We’ve been highlighting the best pubs in the country since 1988, and the competition helps to showcase quality pubs around the UK that are worth seeking out and visiting. It’s all about finding the cream of the crop and the best place for you to enjoy a pint of real ale. Some may also have good quality real cider or perry for you to sample.
- Each year, over 200 CAMRA branches select their Pub of the Year. These then go through to the regional competition to select the 16 top pubs, which are then whittled down to four finalists – one of which will become the ultimate winner.
