Flixton Conservative Club has been named CAMRA Greater Manchester Club Of The Year for the second year running. The club which is on the corner of Flixton Road and Chassen Road between Urmston & Flixton has retained the title it first took in 2015, beating off six other private members clubs from across CAMRA Greater Manchester's branches.
The club has been named Club Of The Year by Trafford & Hulme branch for four consecutive years and after winning the regional title, the club will now go forward to be judged against 15 other regional winners for the National Club Of The Year title.
Mystery shopper judges visited all the finalists over the summer, scoring each club on a range of attributes including the range and quality of beer & cider, customer service, warmth of welcome, and value for money. Judges praised Flixton Conservative Club for the devotion of its staff, the wide range of beers on offer and the warm welcome extended to non-member visitors.
Club stewards Nigel and Sharon Porter have transformed the beer range at the club from two real ales when they arrived five years ago to six on the bar at one time and the club is reaping the benefits with membership flourishing. Nigel said "Feedback I get from the committee is that many new members cite the beer as their main reason for joining the club with others stating that they come here because they find it a welcoming, safe and secure place to enjoy a good beer".
One judge commented "The club is astonishing. Nigel's devotion to real ale knows no bounds. For anybody with even the slightest interest in real ale, this club is a god send."
On his and Sharon's role in the club's success, Nigel said "It requires a bit of dedication and hard work but basically enthusiasm carries us through. We enjoy what we do - especially the market research - that bit is important!" Asked what makes running a club different to running a pub he commented "Thanks to the support of the committee and members working together with us, the club moves forward as a family unit"
As well as a great range of real ales, club members have an active snooker league, a number of bowling teams, a walking group which uses the club as a base and even a popular chess club which meets once a week in the club's function room. On the last Friday of the month, the club holds a Brewers Night with the pumps turned over to a single brewer - September's visiting brewery will be Lancaster's Borough Brewery, while October will see the highly regarded Acorn brewery travel from Barnsley.
CAMRA members are welcome to visit to see for themselves why the club is so well regarded - just show your membership card. Club membership is available to those who like what they see and want to visit regularly.