Pub of the Year for the third year in succession
From Strength to Strength
One of the foremost real ale pubs in the area has done it again. For the third year in succession The Berry, on Canada Road in Walmer, has won the local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) branch Pub of the Year award (colloquially referred to as "POTY").This CAMRA award is presented to the real ale pub which demonstrates not just a commitment to quality real ale but is judged to be the best all-round pub in terms of atmosphere, welcome & service, clientele mix, support for CAMRA aims and overall value for money.
Tony Wells, the Pubs Officer for the Deal, Dover, Sandwich and District branch of CAMRA, said that: "The Berry just goes from strength to strength and shows what can be achieved if you put the right person behind the bar. Chris Barnes, landlord of The Berry, understands what a good real ale pub should be all about. I firmly believe that Chris rightly deserves this award as it reflects the hard work he has been doing in serving good quality real ale and cider as well as supporting CAMRAÕs aims."
Since taking over the pub in 2005, Chris has had remarkable success. Within a year he gained entry into CAMRA's Good Beer Guide and became eligible for the local POTY award. By 2008, he had won this CAMRA award for the first time.
This award crowns what has been and continues to be a very successful and busy year for Chris and the pub. Sales of real ale have increased such that Chris has installed additional handpulls; he recently served his 800th different real ale; he had his 3rd winter beer festival in February and is planning other real ale and cider events through out the year. He is due to get married in early June and his partner, Haz, is due to give birth to their baby.
Having won the local award, The Berry now goes forward into CAMRA's East Kent Pub of the Year competition.
From over 110 real ale pubs in the branch, just six pubs were selected for entry into the POTY competition. As well as the Berry, the other pubs included (in alphabetical order) Blakes, Dover, Eight Bells, Dover, Louis Armstrong, Dover, Plough & Harrow, Tilmanstone, and the Ship Inn, Deal, To determine which was the best all-round real ale pub, ten volunteers from CAMRA visited each of the six pubs over a two month period.
Tony said: "Just being selected for entry into the competition is no mean feat. The pub has to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to quality real ale throughout the year. The award isn't based on a simple one-off group vote nor from a single visit by one individual.
The POTY presentation will take place on Saturday, 5th June at 3.00pm.
The Berry's website can be found at http://theberrywalmer.co.uk/. Further information about Campaign for Real ale can be found at http://www.carma.co.uk/.
Background Information
CAMRA campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. We are an independent, voluntary organisation with over 100,000 members and have been described as the most successful consumer group in Europe. CAMRA promotes good-quality real ale and pubs, as well as acting as the consumer's champion in relation to the UK and European beer and drinks industry. We aim to:- 1. Protect and improve consumer rights
- 2. Promote quality, choice and value for money
- 3. Support the public house as a focus of community life
- 4. Campaign for greater appreciation of traditional beers, ciders and perries as part of our national heritage and culture
- 5. Seek improvements in all licensed premises and throughout the brewing industry
The Deal, Dover, Sandwich and District branch of CAMRA has over 300 members and covers the coastal area from Capel-le-Ferne through to Sandwich and inland as far as Stourmouth, Wingham, Denton and Alkam.