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On Thursday 3th June Flixton Conservative Club was presented with the Branch Club of The Year 2022 award. Here we see George Elmslie the Branch Chirman presenting the award to Andrea Doherty and Pauline.
and here it is with the team, Pat, Andrea, Pauline and Tom.
Pi (Altrincham) is voted Trafford and Hulme, CAMRA Pub Of The Year 2017. Pi continues its quiet reputation for a quality, European style bar, welcoming drinkers over two floors. During the past year they've provided an excellent range of beers. Pie Minister pie and mash for the hungry, along with free peanuts for the peckish, remain popular.
A reserved approach from Pi, without DJ or TV encourages conversation to dominate the atmosphere. They’ve plenty of options to talk about; A new house brew for 2017 from Runaway brewery (a very sessionable 4.2% pale ale) joins the two guest handpumps on the bar with typically two cider or perry options available. Pi has not forgotten its roots, and retains a strong bottle selection, recently complemented with a ‘Not beer’ menu to simplify the decision process for drinkers. The food is served until 11pm and includes vegan options
CAMRA Pub of the Year is judged on wider criteria than just the beer (though that has to be exceptional) and is considered to be the best overall pub for the area, accounting for decor, atmosphere, food and general facilities. Around Altrincham, the growth in competition from Altrincham Market Halls, only emphasises Pi’s success. The recipe is working, and reflected in very high review scores across other social media. For Pi to retain the Pub of the Year in these circumstances is a great accomplishment and testament to all involved.
Pub Of The Season | Pub Of The Year | Club Of The Year | Cider Pub Of The Year | Best Newcomer | Most Improved | Community Pub Of The Year | LocAle Pub Of The Year | ||||
Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter | ||||||||
2024 | Chorlton Tap, Chorlton | Sedge Lynn, Chorlton | Strange Brew, Chorlton | The Beer House, Chorlton | Flixton Conservative Club | The Apple Barn, Dunham Massey | Pray Tell, Sale | The Unicorn, Altrincham | The Carlton Club, Whalley Range | The Longford Tap, Stretford | |
2023 | Old Roebuck, Altrincham | Swan With Two Nicks, Little Bollington | Costello's, Altrincham | Hilary Step, Whalley Range | The Beer House, Chorlton | Flixton Conservative Club | The Apple Barn, Dunham Massey | No award | No award | The Carlton Club, Whalley Range | No award |
2022 | The Railway, Sale | Fell, Chorlton | Salutation | The Beer House, Chorlton | The Beer House, Chorlton | Flixton Conservative Club | The Chorlton Tap, Chorlton | Fell, Chorlton | The Carlton Club, Whalley Range | Old Abbey Taphouse, Greenheys | Longford Tap, Stretford |
2021 | No awards due to COVID | ||||||||||
2020 | The Assembly, Urmston |
No award due to COVID | No award due to COVID | No award due to COVID | The Old Packet House, Broadheath | Flixton Conservative Club | The Font, Chorlton | The Longford Tap, Stretford | The Salutation, Hulme | The Sip Club, Stretford | Hilary Step, Whalley Range |
2019 | Old Market Tavern, Altrincham |
The Buck, Ashton On Mersey | Dulcimer, Chorlton-cum-Hardy |
The Salutation, Hulme | The Old Packet House, Broadheath | Flixton Conservative Club | The Font, Chorlton | Brew Chimp, Urmston | The Railway, Sale | The Sip Club, Stretford | Prairie Schooner Tap House, Urmston |
2018 | Hillary Step, Whalley Range |
Costello's. Altrincham |
The Railway, Sale |
The Beerhouse, |
The Old Packet House, Broadheath | Flixton Conservative Club | The Font, Chorlton | Barking Dog, Urmston | The Vine Inn, Sale | The Brook, Brooklands | Flixton Conservative Club |
2017 | Quarry Bank Inn, Timperley |
Morley Cheeks,Chorlton |
StrangeBrew, Chorlton | Church, Flixton | PI (Altrincham) | Flixton Conservative Club | Sip Club, Stretford | No awards in 2017 due to change of voting timetable | |||
2016 | The Bar, Chorlton | JP Joule, Sale | Prairie Schooner Tap House, Urmston | Old Packet House, Broadheath | PI (Altrincham) | Flixton Conservative Club | Font (Chorlton) | Craftsman, Altrincham | Cheshire Tap, Altrincham | Lord Nelson, Urmston | Prairie Schooner Tap House, Urmston |
2015 | Sedge Lynn, Chorlton | Pi (Altrincham) | Jack In The Box, Altrincham | Sir Ralph Abercromby, Petersfield | Knott, Castlefield | Flixton Conservative Club | Font (Chorlton) | Jack In The Box, Altrincham | Navigation, Altrincham | No award | Wharf, Castlefield |
2014 | The Vine, Manchester | Old Market Tavern, Altrincham | Sip Club, Stretford | The Beech Inn, Chorlton | City Arms, Manchester | Flixton Conservative Club | Font (Chorlton) | Sip Club, Stretford | Church Inn, Hulme | Railway, Broadheath | No award |
2013 | Old Packet House, Altrincham | City Arms, Manchester | Salisbury, Manchester | The Wharf, Castlefield | Costellos, Altrincham | Flixton Conservative Club | Font (Manchester) | Font (Chorlton) | Jackalope, Chorlton | Volunteer Hotel, Sale | City Arms, Manchester |
2012 | Cask, Manchester | Bishop Blaize, Stretford | Hillary Step, Whalley Range | Parlour, Chorlton | Costellos, Altrincham | Altrincham Conservative Club | Font (Manchester) | ||||
2011 | Oddest, Chorlton | Costellos, Altrincham | Waterhouse, Manchester | The Beech Inn, Chorlton | Marble Beer House, Chorlton | Timperley Taverners Club | Oddest | ||||
2010 | Pi (Chorlton) | JP Joule, Sale | Rising Sun, Manchester | Peveril Of The Peak | The Knott, Castlefield | Timperley Taverners | Dulcimer, Chorlton | ||||
2009 | The Knott, Castlefield | Steamhouse, Urmston | Electrik, Chorlton | Bulls Head, Sale | The Knott, Castlefield | ||||||
2008 | Volunteer Hotel, Sale | Swan With Two Nicks | City Arms, Manchester | Railway, Broadheath | Old Market Tavern | ||||||
2007 | Old Market Tavern, Altrincham | Railway, Broadheath | Trevor Arms, Chorlton | The Bar, Chorlton | |||||||
2006 | Stamford Arms, Bowdon | Hillary Step, Whalley Range | Church Inn, Flixton | Font (Manchester) | |||||||
2005 | Peveril Of The Peak, Manchester | No award | Marble Beer House | ||||||||
2004 | The Knott, Castlefield | Moss Trooper, Timperley | Old Market Tavern, Altrincham | ||||||||
2003 | Orange Tree, Altrincham | Marble Beer House, Chorlton |
Trafford & Hulme branch have voted the Old Packet House, Navigation Road, Broadheath as their Pub of the Season for winter 2016/17. Built in the 1770’s the Old Packet House was the second stopping place on the journey, by boat or barge, from Manchester to Runcorn along the Bridgewater Canal, providing shelter for passengers and storage facilities for packages for dispatch or collection. Now run, since 2014, by Claire Hardman and her partner. After a recent external refurbishment the pub is now a cheery & welcoming local serving two cask ales, Little Bollington from Dunham Massey and Golden Best from Timothy Taylors.
Very much a local’s pub, Claire and her staff work hard to support the local community with charity events, karaoke every Friday, live music on occasional Saturdays and Quiz Nights on Monday.
Food is served daily from noon until 8:30pm and for those wishing to stay over there are four en-suite bedrooms at reasonable rates for B&B.
Trafford and Hulmes Community Pub of The Year 2016 is the Lord Nelson, Urmston. Known locally as The Nellie, this pub is everything you expect from a community pub.
Always busy, it gets particularly crowded for sports events and on quiz night (Tuesdays) and 'Colin's famous disco' on Saturday nights.
Sky Sports is shown, often with separate matches in separate rooms.
Here we see John the branch chairman presenting the award presented to Julie and Ian the management team who have run " the Nellie " for the last 17 years.
On Tuesday the 13th of December the Prairie Schooner Taphouse was presented with the "Best LocAle Pub" award. Their dedication to local and mainly independant breweries such as Blackjack, Brewsmith, Brightside, Dunham Massey, Seven Bro7hers, Ticketybrew or Tweed, has deservedly earned them the 2016 LocAle award.
Just in case you fancy something from distant lands they also have over 100 bottled beers (British, Continental and American) from the likes of Anchor, Cantillon, Founders, Firestone Walker and Mikkeller amongst others.
Here we see John O'Donnell the branchy chair presenting the award to the Prairie Schooner Taphouse team Rob, Clare and Josh.
The Cheshire Tap was voted the Most Improved pub having transformed the former Classroom on Railway Street into a cool bar which has been a popular addition to the town's beer scene since opening in December 2015. While the site's previous incarnation was popular, it offered little to attract fans of quality beers whereas The Cheshire Tap features four real ales and a range of "craft" keg and bottles.
In keeping with its name, the bar regularly features Cheshire based breweries - on presentation evening two beers from Poynton Brewery were on offer - the flagship Vulcan Best Bitter and the newly launch Kiwi - a New Zealand hopped pale ale. The other two pumps featured Black Shire Stout from Tweed and Robinson's Dizzy Blonde. Pictured are general manager Martin, bar manager James with branch chair John O'Donnell
The 2016 Best Newcomer award went to the Craftsman in Altrincham.
The Best Newcomer award went to The Craftsman which opened in December 2015 in a vacant unit on Stamford New Road (although the site had hosted a bar many years ago). Here six handpumps have plain pumpclips which just feature a number which refers to the large blackboard above the bar. On the presentation night there were beers from across the county - Brightside's Odin topped the list with the rest of the board featuring UBU from Warwick's Purity Brewery, IPA from XT brewery in Berkshire, Yeovil Ale's Yeo Ho Ho, Cross Bay's Sunshine and Kits Coty from London's Caveman brewery. Although the bar took a few months to find its feet, it has built a steady following in the town and was busy when CAMRA came to present their certificate. Pictured is bar manager Ian Peel with branch chair John.
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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