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Many congratulations to Roger and Claire at The Old Packet House our Pub Of The Year 2018 being presented with there award this evening by our Branch Chairman. Previously being one of our Pubs of the Season in 2013 and 2016.
Trafford & Hulme CAMRA is pleased to announce that the 2018 Pub Of The Year is The Old Packet House on the corner of Navigation Road & Manchester Road in Broadheath. One of the branch's oldest pubs dating back to the 1870s, landlords Roger & Clare have made it a shining example of all that is good about traditional pubs. A roaring fire in winter, great value pub grub and of course great beer from local breweries saw it top the member's vote out of over 140 pubs selling real ale in the branch area.
The runner up was a much more modern bar - Chorlton's The Font which offers a range of 8 cask ales and 16 lines of modern keg beers, with last year's Pub Of The Year, Pi (Altincham) in third place.
The Font was also named Cider Pub Of The Year 2018 for the fouth time in five years - it's range of between 6 and 10 traditional and fruit flavoured ciders no doubt being the clincher for cider drinkers. Sale's The JP Joule was runner up.
Having made it to the final four of the National Club Of The Year competition (overall winner to be announced later this month), it was no great surprise that members once again chose Flixton Conservative Club as Club Of The Year - an unprecedented sixth consecutive win for this very special club where stewards Sharon and Nigel, supported by the club committee, have got their members really enthused about real ales with an emphasis on local offerings.
Their success must be rubbing off on their local competiton with Flxton Ex-Servicemen's Club (aka The John Alker) taking the Club Of The Year runners up slot.
Members also voted on four other annual awards
Award | Winner | Runner Up |
Best Newcomer | Barking Dog, Urmston | Con Club, Altrincham |
Best LocAle Pub of Club |
Flixton Consevative Club, Urmston | The Sip Club, Stretford |
Best Community Pub |
The Brook, Brooklands | Lord Nelson, Urmston |
Most Improved Pub of Club |
The Vine Inn, Sale | Church Inn, Flixton |
Trafford & Hulme CAMRA is pleased to announce that for the 2019 Pub Of The Year is for the second year running The Old Packet House on the corner of Navigation Road & Manchester Road in Broadheath. One of the branch's oldest pubs dating back to the 1870s, The landlords Roger & Clare have not dropped the ball and it continues to be a shining example of all that is good about traditional pubs. A roaring fire in winter, great value pub grub and of course great beer from local breweries saw it top the member's vote out of over 140 pubs selling real ale in the branch area.
The well deserved runners-up spot went to the Beer House, Chorlton. This aptly named pub has two regular beers and up to five changing beers on hand pumps, and these are complimented with an extensive range of bottled and canned beers, some local and some from around the world.
The Font was also named Cider Pub Of The Year 2019 for the fith time in six years - it's range of between 6 and 10 traditional and fruit flavoured ciders no doubt being the clincher for cider drinkers. PI (Altrincham) was the runner up.
Despite there being new stewards at Flixton Conservative Club it still triumphed in the Club Of The Year competition making this the seventh consecutive win for this very special club.
Members also voted on four other annual awards, as below.
Award | Winner | Runner Up |
Best Newcomer | Brew Chimp, Urmston | |
Best LocAle Pub of Club |
Prairie Schooner, Urmston | PI, Altrincham |
Best Community Pub |
Sip Club, Stretford | |
Most Improved Pub of Club |
Railway, Sale |
The Trafford and Hulme Winter Pub of the season 2018 is the Church, Flixton.
It is a long established and busy community local. It stands next to the Norman church of St Michael’s and looks very much like a typical country pub, although it is on the fringe of a large and well developed urban area. Over the years the pub has expanded almost seamlessly into adjacent cottages. Inside it is a friendly and busy pub with a variety of different spaces inside, reflecting the small rooms of the original cottages.
Cask ales have always been important at the Church and the present managers, Joanne and Lance Amison make the most of their ability to pick interesting and unusual beers from small independent breweries. On a recent visit the bar featured Blackedge Brewer’s Gold, RedWillow Stateless and Acorn Yorkshire Pride alongside the more mainstream Sharp’s Doom Bar. The beers tend to be of session strength and from North of England breweries but they are never predictable. Card-carrying CAMRA members can claim a 10% discount on cask beers.
They also host a variety of community activities throughout the week. Tuesday is Poker Night. Wednesday is Open Mike Night. There are quizzes on Thursday and Sunday nights.
Don’t miss the pub’s “mystery object”, the so-called Shell. This is a strange and antique piece of ironmongery, attached to the corner formed by the pub wall and the wall of the churchyard. It’s been there for at least a century and is thought to be a deterrent to anyone tempted to use that semi-sacred corner as a pissoir, to borrow a French term.
This year is the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Trafford & Hulme CAMRA. On checking we found that the Lord Nelson is the only Pub in both the 1977 and 2017 Good Beer Guides. At the December Branch meeting we presented the pub with a special certificate in recognition of this achievment. Here we see Phil Parkinson, Head Brewer from Joseph Holts holding the certificate, along with Julie and Ian from the pub.
Congratulations to The Chorlton Tap - they have been listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide every year since 2009 - ten consecutive entries. Here is the award being presented during the Chorlton Challenge..
On Thursday 26th October Trafford and Hulme CAMRA descended to Andrew and the team at Strange Brew Chorlton to present thm with the "Pub Of The Season Autumn 2017". Here we see John, the Trafford & Hulme CAMRA chairman present the award:-
And here are some of the team basking in the glory.
Trafford & Hulme Branch awards four seasonal awards to pubs, bars & clubs in the branch area
The Pub Of The Season award is presented to a pub or bar within the branch area which has excelled in one or more areas:
a) introducing real ale to a new area or market where none has been available
b) on-going excellence in the quality of real ales (and ciders) on offer
c) on-going excellence of service to customers and/or the local community
d) significant increases in the sales of real ales and/or traditional ciders
e) excellence in support promotion of CAMRA and its aims
f) significant charitable work
Nominees for the award are put forward by local CAMRA members & voted on by branch members once a quarter.
A pub (while under the same management) cannot be Pub Of The Season more than once in a 3 year period. A pub must have been under the same management for over one year before it becomes eligible to be nominated as Pub Of The Season.
Find out more about Trafford & Hulme Branch's process for pub and club awards here.
The Pub Of The Year award is presented annually to a pub or bar which in the opinion of the membership “ticks all the boxes”. It should ideally offer a range of quality real ales, including speciality styles like dark beers; offer good real cider and perry; and offer at least one LocAle. A branch pub of the year should be a community pub that provides events and services for the local community. The pub should have a strong identity and personality that will often reflect the tastes of the licensee. The pub should exude a sense of welcome and the experience of your visit should leave you wanting to return.
The pub or bar should be the one the branch feels is the very best overall in our area as the Pub Of The Year shall be put forward by the branch for entry into the Greater Manchester Regional round of the CAMRA National Pub Of The Year award where it will be judged on quality of cask ale (and cider); atmosphere; décor; customer service; welcome; value for money; customer mix.
Find out more about Trafford & Hulme Branch's process for pub and club awards here.
While the branch celebrates four Pub Of The Season winners throughout the year, these often go to long standing pubs and bars which are awarded for longevity of excellence. Starting from 2013, the branch decided it wanted to also recognise pubs that excel in specific areas.
The branch presents four annual awards in addition to existing Pub of The Season and Pub Of The Year awards:
Best Newcomer
Most Improved Pub Or Club
Best Community Pub
Best LocAle Pub or Club
For full details of the awards, click here
The Club Of The Year award is presented annually to the club, which shows the greatest commitment to Quality Real Ale. Factors to be considered are quality of cask ale (and cider); sympathy with CAMRA's aims (e.g. CAMRA literature displayed; hosting CAMRA events such as branch or committee meetings); welcome given to non-member cask ale drinkers; value for money on cask ales and ciders; promotion of real ale (e.g. real ale beer festivals, brewery nights, other real ale promotions).
Additionally CAMRA members must be welcomed to drink in the club on production of a current CAMRA membership card (guest admission fees and maximum visits before joining the club may apply).
Find out more about Trafford & Hulme Branch's process for pub and club awards here.
The Cider & Perry Pub Of The Year award recognises a pub, bar or club that has best excelled in the promotion of real traditional draught ciders and perries appropriately served. Quality of the cider and perry offered is the most important criteria alongside overall promotion of real cider and perry and cider producers by the pub (e.g. posters and literature in the pub; tasting events; cider and perry pub festivals). A branch cider/perry pub of the year should offer a good range of quality real cider and perry, and ideally the choice over time should include a range of styles from different cider producers.
Find out more about Trafford & Hulme Branch's process for pub and club awards here.
The Trafford & Hulme Cask Champion award was created in 2010 to recognise the achievements of a person, group, pub or company that have made an outstanding contribution to furthering CAMRA\'s aims in the branch area.
There award is only presented infrequently when the branch considers that there is a candidate worthy of this honour.
Find out more about Trafford & Hulme Branch's process for pub and club awards here.
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