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Pub of the Month
"Pub of the Month" is an award presented to the landlord or
manager of a public house in the Leicester Branch area in honour of
their dedication to real ale. This can be by innovation, returning
a pub to "cask ale", introduction of "Guest Beers", consistently
high quality beers, sympathetic restoration or any other worthwhile
act that promotes real ale in line with the aims of CAMRA.
Despite its name, the award is not allocated each month but only
after a pub is nominated by a branch member and approved by a
branch meeting. In a similar fashion, there are awards for the
Pub of the Year and Club of the
Year.
Next Presentation: Wed 17th September. The Windmill,
Brascote. Approx 9pm
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Pub Of The Month May 2008 - The Western,
Leicester
On
21st May, a large number of Leicester CAMRA Branch
and Committee members were gathered at The Western, 70 Western
Road, Leicester. We were presenting Danny Hardwood and Amy Allen
with the Leicester CAMRA Pub Of The Month Award, for May 2008.
The Western was an
Everards tied house, until being leased to The Steamin’ Billy
Brewing Company last November. Since then, under the guidance of
Barry Lount and Billy Allingham, and managed by Danny and Amy,
it has totally changed the pub for the better, now offering a
range of Steamin’ Billy Beers (Brewed by Tower Brewery of
Burton-Upon-Trent), along with Guest Beers from other breweries.
Everards beers too, as they still actually own the pub.
Keith presented their
award, outlining the importance of supporting your local pub,
with 2 pubs a day closing for good, in the UK. Danny and Amy
were pleased to receive recognition from Leicester CAMRA. He
thanked us for the award and hoped to continue to offer the wide
selection of beers and to receive our continued support.
K. Williams
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Pub Of The Month April 2008 - The Chandlers
Arms,
Shearsby
Our April 2008 "Pub Of The Month" is a pub that may
not have survived had it not been for the hard work and
dedication of Stephen and Karen Compton. With country pubs closing at an
alarming rate it is nice to see the Chandlers doing so well and
also supporting LocAle, CAMRAs' push to have local beers in
local pubs. We travelled out by minibus to present the award on
April 23rd 2008 and were joined by many other CAMRA members who
made their own way.
When we arrived at the pub as it was St Georges day, it was so
busy we had to queue on the steps to get in! The pub was very
busy with not only drinkers but diners as well. The pub has an
interesting menu and I will make the effort to get back for a
meal at some point.
On the bar were five beers; Dowbridge Bonum Mild and Acris
Bitter along with Black Sheep Ale, Titanic English Glory and
Milestone Old Home Wrecker. The beers were in very good
condition and sensibly priced considering the extortionate
prices being charged in some other establishments.
Chairman Keith Williams spoke about CAMRA and how important
country pubs are. He thanked Steve for buying the pub in 2006 and turning it round. Keith did say he
thought the pub would not have survived otherwise. Steve was
slightly lost for words but thanked all the locals present for
their support as well as the members from Leicester CAMRA.
The evening was completed with a hot pot
that was enjoyed by members of
Leicester CAMRA. Our thanks go to Steve for his
hospitality on the night. It was also noted that the beers were
disappearing very rapidly such was the superb condition of them!
Andy Sales.
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Pub Of The Month February 2008 - The Wheel,
Oadby
Our February 2008 "Pub Of The Month" is a pub that is thriving
in the local community and has introduced a guest beer to
compliment the Bass and Pedigree which are always served in top
notch condition, we travelled by Arriva Bus No 31 on the Oadby
Grange route to The Wheel, 99 London Road, Oadby. The bus stop
is literally outside the front door of the pub and Landlord
Richard Pettit and his wife Carolyn were there to meet us.
There
was quite a large group of regulars there on presentation night
along with members of Oadby & Wigston Borough Council, including
the Mayor. The pub is involved in an enormous amount of sporting
activities and even has Poker nights. It was redecorated about a
year ago and a smoking ban introduced before the main government
ban. Smokers are well catered for with an outside area though.
The guest beer for the night was J. W Lees - John Willies 4.5
sitting alongside the regular Bass and Pedigree.
Chairman Keith Williams spoke about CAMRA and how important
community pubs are. Richard explained how popular the pub is and
his commitment to real ale. He was thrilled to bits with the
award and said that he would dedicate it to his wife who has
been of solid support in the background all the way and his
customers.
The Mayor then spoke again about the community and said he had
not realised how many small independent micro breweries existed.
The evening was completed with an enormous
buffet that was enjoyed by both customers and members of
Leicester CAMRA. Our thanks go to Richard and Carolyn for their
hospitality on the night.
Andy Sales.
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Pub Of The Month September
2007 - The Black Horse, Walcote
For our September 2007 Pub Of The Month, it was a pub with a difference.
We travelled to Walcote, just off the M1 junction 20, to meet
Andy and Mandy Clipston.
About 4 years ago, The Black Horse was due to close following a
successful planning application to convert the pub in to
dwellings, something that is sadly quite common of late. Andy,
being a regular at The Black Horse and a self-employed builder
thought “This can’t happen” so he bought it.
When looking the pub over to asses what work needed to be done, he decided
that it would be easier to knock the place down and start again,
so in May 2006, he did just that.
By 16th
December, he finally re-opened the pub, a few feet further back
from the main A 4304(Formerly A427), but to the same design as
the old one with a few modern improvements. It now sells a dozen
or more beers, mainly from Independent and Micro-Breweries. The
pub is now more popular than ever. Andy and Mandy were presented
with their award and thanked Leicester CAMRA for recognising his
efforts to save a popular pub from closure and supporting him in
his venture as a Publican.
The evening was completed with the Thai curry and rice, which had arrived.
Our thanks go to Andy and Mandy Clipston for their hospitality
on the night. Thai food is regularly served at the pub. It is
only a mile from the M1 Junction 20 and well worth a visit.
K Williams.
Previous Winners:
| Pub of the Month |
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| July 2007 - The
Britannia, Queniborough |
| June 2007 - The
Black Horse, Leicester |
| May 2007 - The
Black Horse, Aylestone |
| April 2007 -
The Fox & Goose, Ilston on the Hill |
| November
2006 - The Swan & Rushes, Leicester |
| May 2006 - The
Shakespeare's Head, Leicester |
| April 2006 -
The Globe, Leicester |
| January
2006 - The New Inn, Enderby |
| October 2005 -
The Bull's Head, Ratby |
| September 2005 -
Out of the Vaults, Leicester |
| July 2005 - The
Griffin, Swithland |
| June 2005 - The
Tudor, Leicester |
| February 2005 -
The Malt Shovel, Barkby |
| August 2004 -
The Bakers Arms, Blaby |
| May 2004 - The
Hat & Beaver, Leicester |
| April 2004 - The Black Horse,
Leicester |
| January 2004
- The Criterion, Leicester |
| August 2003 - The Dog & Gun, Earl Shilton |
| June 2003 - The
Brookside, Barkby |
| February
2003 - The Globe, Leicester |
| January 2003
- The Vaults, Leicester |
| April 2001 - The Gateway,
Leicester |
| August 2000 - New Greyhound, Billesdon |
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This page last updated: July 11, 2008
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