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Turks Head, St Helens and Reading Room, Haydock claim CAMRA awards
A ‘double’ for St Helens
St Helens boasts the CAMRA Pub of the Year and the Club of the Year for the whole of Merseyside.
St Helens and Districts CAMRA branch has expressed its delight that its Pub of the Year and Club of the Year have both gone on to prevail in the Merseyside-wide award.
The Turks Head beat off stiff competition from The Red Fox in Wirral and The Bridewell in Liverpool to be crowned Pub of the Year.
‘To win is phenomenal’
Landlord Daryl Arrowsmith said: “I was chuffed to win the branch award, but to win the Merseyside award to is phenomenal.
“It’s all thanks to those CAMRA members who voted for us in the first place and our regular customers who keep us going. I’d like to thank all our staff as well for all their hard work which has got us to this accolade.”
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Meanwhile, Merseyside Club of the Year went to Haydock Reading Room who won the branch award after beating off stiff competition from across the borough.
Reading Room ‘over the moon’ with accolade
Steward at Haydock Reading Room, Nigel Arnold said: “I’m absolutely over the moon with to make it to Merseyside winner as well as St Helens. Here’s hoping we can go even further in the regionals.
“The support I’ve had from St Helens and Districts CAMRA and from the members here drinking the cask ale is brilliant. I’d like to thank all our members and our staff for helping us win this award.”
‘Real ale scene in St Helens is thiriving’
Nick Bosley, regional director for Cheshire and Merseyside CAMRA, added: “It’s wonderful to see the real ale scene in St Helens thriving. To have the Merseyside Pub of the Year and Club of the Year in the town is a great achievement and to see the reemergence of a beer festival in St Helens on what is their 15th anniversary year is even better. I wish both the Turks Head and Haydock Reading Room all the best for the regional competition.”
Pub of the Year and Club of the Year are annual accolades awarded by the Campaign for Real Ale to the best real ale pub and club in the district and is voted for by CAMRA members who are asked to visit each pub on the shortlist and score it out of 10 for eight areas:
Quality of ale/cider; Promotion/Knowledge of real ale; Cleanliness & Staff Hygiene; Décor/Style & furnishing; Service/welcome/offering; Community focus and atmosphere; Sympathy with CAMRA’s Aims and Overall impression & value.
What is St Helens CAMRA?
St Helens CAMRA comes under Merseyside and Cheshire region and currently has more than 700 members. It campaigns for quality real ale, cider and perry in thriving pubs across St Helens and advocates pubs and clubs as social centres in the local community and promotes the benefits of responsible social drinking.
Branch meetings usually take place on the fourth Wednesday of the month. The meetings are informal and fairly short and are a great way to have a general catch up with local brewery, pub, and social news – always held at local pubs that serve real ale.
