To join the branch news group, e-mail:-
thcamra+subscribe (at) thcamra.groups.io
The Best Newcomer award went to Altrincham Market Hall’s in house bar Jack In The Box.
Trafford & Hulme’s LocAle Pub Of The Year for 2015 was The Wharf in Castlefield.
Pictured is manager Siobhan Youngs with outgoing branch Chair Paul King.
Thursday 15th January saw the award for the "Most Improved Pub of the Year - 2015"
Broadheath’s Navigation Hotel was the winner. New landlady Julie took over the pub in March 2015 and immediately set about transforming the pub into a venue that welcomes diners and drinkers equally and is equally suited to families and mature customers. Although TV sports have been maintained, they no longer dominate the pub with zoning set up to allow some areas to be quiet while sport is shown in others. There is a full menu, regular live music and the bowling green out back is in regular use.
Most importantly, the quality and range of beers has improved greatly. Pictured is branch chair John O’Donnell with Julie.
The Trafford & Hulme branch Pub Of The Season for Winter 2015/16 is the Sir Ralph Abercromby in Manchester City Centre.
The Sir Ralph is a Manchester institution having stood on Bootle Street since the early 19th century. Current Landlord Mike Christodoulou came to the pub in 2011 when he and the legendary “Greek George” of the Circus Tavern fame revitalised it after a period of closure. George moved on after a couple of years but Mike has continued to build the pub into one with a vibrant community who head to it for good value food, regular entertainment and of course good beer – there are usually five real ales on the bar.
Despite its long history, the future of the pub is seriously under threat from Manchester City Council’s plans to redevelop the whole area. Although the proposals which were recently subject of public consultation are deliberately vague, all the indications are that the developers see the pub as “in the way”. CAMRA will be doing what we can to ensure that development does not wipe out such an important part of our pub scene.
The Pub Of The Season award will be presented on Friday 30th January from 8pm. It’s hoped to get the press to cover the event in the light of the threat to the pub, so it would be good if CAMRA members from across the region could make it down to show the level of support for our historic pubs.
The Trafford & Hulme Branch Pub of The Season for Autumn 2015 is Jack In The Box, Altrincham Market Hall
The 23rd of July saw the presentation of the "Pub of the Season" for Summer 2015 to Pi, Shaw's Road, Altrincham. The event was well attended by a large cohort of Branch Members who enjoyed a splendid evening of Ale, punctuated by Tapas style snacks and Pizza. The presentation was made by John O'Donnell, the branch Vice Chairman to Andy Ingham the owner who looks very pleased to receive it:-
As does the Manager, Ben Reynolds who can just be seen lurking in the background of this one:-
The Trafford & Hulme Pub Of The Season for Summer 2015 is Pi, Shaw's Road, Altrincham.
Pi opened in October 2012 as the third outlet for Chorlton based Pivo Inns. The original Pi on Manchester Road in Chorlton was Pub of The Season for Spring 2010 with Pi(Rose Lane) in the Liverpool suburb of Mosley Hill joining the family in 2011.
The Altrincham bar follows the same basic formula as its siblings - specialising in beer with a basic but hugely successful food menu based around the products of Bristol's PieMinster. The concept of Pi was born out of owner Andy Ingham's desire for a local bar that he would want to drink in - as nobody else was opening the kind of place he liked, he did it himself.
There are two handpumps on the bar, one selling permanent beer Tatton Blonde. The guest pump serves an ever changing range of guests with regularly featured breweries including RedWillow, Saltaire and Brightside. The cask ales are complemented by a wide range of distinctive draught beers - there are no national brands here - and a massive range of bottles from the "beer bible". Essentially it's a beer heaven.
The Font Bar does it again – come join the celebrations
The Font Bar in Chorlton has for the second year in a row won the Trafford and Hulme Cider Pub of the year. In fact, it has won our Cider pub of the year award every year since it opened (ok, it has only been open for a couple of years…. )…
While the Font Chorlton has won for two years now, the Font bar chain are no strangers to winning Cider awards with its sister bar in Manchester being a previous Cider Pub of the Year Winner.
With such a cider pedigree the Font Chorlton is a natural contender as one of Manchester’s finest Cider pubs. With up to eight different ciders on tap from a range of interesting producers it stands out as a cider drinker destination bar.
Come and join the Celebration of a great Cider Pub and be there when the presentation is made – let’s show the region that Trafford and Hulme supports not only real ale, but also great Cider and Perry.
The presentation and evening celebrations are on Tuesday the 5th May, 8pm at the Font, Chorlton, M21 9PG
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.
Page 9 of 18