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Derbyshire Favourite Scoops National Award!
From: InnSpire - Issue 63 – October 2006
 The
prestigious National Cider Pub of the Year Award has
gone to our very own Old Poets’ Corner in Ashover, with
the judges being delighted to honour a pub outside of
traditional cider making areas such as Herefordshire and
Somerset.
The
above image shows the presentation being made by CAMRA’s
Regional Cider Coordinator, Andrea Briers, to Kim &
Jackie Beresford. This took place at lunchtime on
Tuesday 3rd October and the occasion
attracted members of the Branch and regional reps. A
team from Look North reported it for that evening’s
news. Even the famous Wurzels ‘I am a Cider Drinker’
song graced the noteworthy occasion!
An
ever-changing range of five ciders plus at least one
perry has been built up from just one tub in 2004. To
mark CAMRA’s Cider Month, a cider week starts on 14th
October, during which there will be an even greater
range of ciders and perries on sale.
This
may be just the boost that traditional cider campaigners
in the area have been waiting for. Several new pubs have
already decided to serve real cider and perry during
October and it is hoped that this will attract an ever
growing army of cider drinkers. So get yourselves down
to your nearest outlet and support our Cider campaign
across the region!
Julie Currey
Best
Pub in Britain for Cider and Perry is not in the Heart
of Cider Country but in Derbyshire.
Official CAMRA Press Release -
02/10/06
To mark
the beginning of October as National Cider Month the
Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) today announces the winner
of its search to find the best pub serving real cider
and perry in Britain.
The Old Poets' Corner in Ashover, Derbyshire will today
(Tuesday October 3rd) be given the coveted title of
Cider Pub of the Year by CAMRA. It is only the second
time the award has been given and the judges were
delighted to award the honour to a pub outside of
traditional cider making counties such as Somerset or
Herefordshire.
The Cider and Perry Pub of the Year judging panel said:
“We were very pleasantly surprised to find this little
gem of a stone-built pub in the heart of the Derbyshire
Peak District selling such a wonderful and interesting
selection of traditional ciders and perries all in
excellent condition.”
Licensee Kim Beresford said "We are totally thrilled to
have been awarded this huge accolade after only two
years at the Old Poets' Corner.
“It's thanks to the demand for cider and perry in
north-east Derbyshire that we are able to maintain our
broad range and provide our customers with what they so
obviously want in such an unusually Northern outlet."
Kim and his wife Jackie took over the Old Poets' Corner
in June 2004. A good range of real ale was quickly
established, but they say real cider arrived almost by
accident. Kim is heavily involved in running
Chesterfield's Rail Ale Festival, and in 2004 there were
some unsold part tubs of cider. A mix of these was sold
at the Old Poets' Corner and was such a huge success
that it showed the sales potential real cider has.
The Old Poets' Corner's cider sales have gone from
strength to strength and an ever changing range of
ciders and perries has built up from one tub in 2004 to
six currently, including at least one perry. However to
mark CAMRA's National Cider Month a cider week is being
held, starting on 14th October. During which there will
be an even greater range of ciders and perries than
usual on sale.
CAMRA asked its 83,000 members and the public to
nominate their favourite pubs in Britain that featured
real cider and perry. The entries were then whittled
down to four finalists. The joint runners-up were:
The Penrhyn Arms, Penrynside, Conwy : 01953 888593
The Banham Barrel, Banham, Norfolk: 01929 439229
The Square & Compass, Worth Matravers: 01492 547732 or
07780 678927
Gillian Williams, Director of CAMRA's Cider & Perry
campaigning said: “The Old Poets' Corner is a tremendous
example of a real cider success story. CAMRA is
encouraging licensees to put a real cider behind their
bar in October so that customers can try this delicious,
fruity and natural drink for themselves.”
The presentation of the Cider Pub of the Year award will
be made at 1pm on Tuesday October 3rd at the Old Poet's
Corner. Press wishing to attend should contact Andrea
Briars on 07732 754888.
The Old Poet's Corner is supplied its cider by Merrylegs
- a cider supplier based in the North of England. In
recognition of Merrylegs' contribution to real cider and
Perry CAMRA is honoured to award the company the 2006
Pomona Award. This year the award is shared jointly with
fellow cider supplier, Jon Hallam.
Ends
For more information contact:
Old Poets' Corner on 01246 590888
CAMRA Press Officer Owen Morris on 01727 798443
Mick Lewis (London) - 07952 244687 or 020 7935 1350
Alistair Boyd (Scotland) - 0141 944 2016
Rhys Jones (Wales) - 01974 241255
Andrea Briers (Norfolk) - 01553 766904 or 07732 754888
This webpage was last updated on
Sunday, 20 April 2008
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