Awards

Yesterday we claimed not to be a pub, well we need to eat our words a little today. We've just had confirmed that we have won the CAMRA branch Pub Of The Season (POTS) - that's on top of finding out we are in the Good Beer Guide again. So if we keep claiming not to be a pub then maybe they will decide we can't have the POTS award - which would be a fair point. We might do some proper backpedaling later but for now let's dwell on the award and why we might have got it.

Dave and Ann are CAMRA members and try to help the branch when they can. Attending branch meetings, helping at the beer festival and passing material for inclusion in What Ales? for instance. Although that should have no effect on awards. If you disagree with awards then attend the meetings - unless you are not a member, in which case join TODAY!

The beverage ethos here complies as much as possible with the CAMRA ethos and despite our complaints about ale not making the Inn any money, it still makes up over 85% of our draft sales (1). There are not many pubs that can claim that. We brew our own ale, not to make money out of it but because we believe part of the future of pubs and real ale is to increase the number of brew pubs (2). All of our real ale is guaranteed to be sold in full measures. Even 1/2 pints are line marked. We hope these are the reasons we have won the POTS award.
Despite the profitable section of the business being the letting rooms and the restaurant, we still encourage casual drinkers. Indeed, as we often point out, we view the public bar as being subsidised very much by the other sections of the business. We do regularly come under criticism for not doing what a pub apparently should. We have found there are certain pub services that we feel conflict with our main trade.
We are keeping the public bar free from the pressures some pubs find when they have to alienate the drinker in favour of food service. A real ale drinker is not a second rate customer in our real ale bar. Watching the industry commentators the "Gastro Pub" style operation is slated for not providing for the drinkers. This is an increasing problem in some pubs. We simplify this by saying our main food trade is delivered in our restaurant and the public bar is then available as a bar whenever we are open.
So why did we say yesterday that we are not a pub? Well on a nice day like today, seeing the number of people that have enjoyed ale and food in our beer garden, it's a good question. When the weather is good it can work. The combination of our location and weather results in many day's having insufficient bar money taken to even justify having the lights and heating let alone paying somebody to look after the bar. So we plug away at it, let the rooms help support the bar and enjoy every customer who appreciates good Real Ale
(1) 85% Real Ale means only 15% over-chilled, fizzy stuff and we are working to grow the bias more to Real Ale. But these added together only represents 18% of our total sales and that does not look like it can get better.
(2)But more brewpubs and microbreweries will result in less volume of beer for the regionals and nationals and so some of those will close.