Well, yes, the Rising Sun is a 2016 Good Beer Guide pub, just not in the printed guide.
Gaining a place in the Good Beer Guide is no mean feat, with a multitude of CAMRA members effectively mystery shopping pubs over many months and scoring the quality of the beer on the What Pub beer scoring system.
To get to the voting stages a pub must score consistently above average across the year, which is no easy task when working with a live product. It takes great skill in the cellar and from the bar staff and management to ensure standards do not drop and you can be guaranteed a good pint.
Even when a pub has consistently been good across the year, a place in the Good Beer Guide is not guaranteed. With a limited number of places available the rigorous testing is only stage one. Eligible pubs are also surveyed to ensure they meet all the other requirements to be listed in the guide before a Branch vote is taken.
Trafford and Hulme always have far more pubs eligible for Good Beer Guide places than are available and so the voting night is a hotly fought contest over which pubs finally make the grade.
As a Branch we were delighted to announce to the pub and our members that the Rising Sun was one of our Good Beer Guide entries for 2016. A much deserved place for a pub that has won many awards over the years under the watchful eye of Barrie Sneyd . Despite being owned by a pub co, Barrie has worked hard to bring a good range of beers to this City Centre pub, including supporting local breweries. His support to local breweries has even led to Brewery takeover nights and other events to promote local beers and real ales. In addition to the great range of beers a real cider is always on tap.
Our delight was slightly short lived however, when it was discovered that due to what will politely call mishaps in the computer systems at CAMRA HQ, the Rising Sun was omitted from the printed guide. We are hoping that it will be added to the first update on the mobile & e-book editions..
So, raise a glass to the Rising Sun and congratulate it on its place in the Good Beer Guide 2016, just don’t try to find it in the printed guide.
Paul King
Branch Chairman
Trafford and Hulme CAMRA