TWO pubs and a club across Merseyside and Cheshire have landed a golden award from The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations throughout 2021, CAMRA is recognising people, groups of people or businesses that have made a significant contribution to CAMRA’s aims.

The two pubs and club that have been awarded across the Merseyside and Cheshire area are:

• Appleton Thorn Village Hall, Cheshire - CAMRA’s National Club of the Year winner in 2019, that has consistently poured great pints

• Borough Arms, Crewe, Cheshire – a popular town pub with ten ever-changing real ales plus a very wide selection of Belgian beers on tap and in bottles

• Roscoe Head, Liverpool, Merseyside – now under the ownership of tenant Carol Ross, it is one of the five pubs that has been included in every edition of the Good Beer Guide, now in its 48th edition

CAMRA’s awards director Gary Timmins said: “I am delighted to be honouring these establishments today with a CAMRA Golden Award. 2021 is our anniversary year, and we want to take this opportunity to celebrate the successes of great British locals as well as CAMRA’s achievements – we wouldn’t have got far without their support!

“This anniversary comes on the heels of an incredibly difficult time for the industry after a year of lockdowns and restrictions. I hope the teams behind the winning pubs and their locals will take this award as appreciation for all the hard work involved in running the business, over the decades and especially now. Nominations were submitted by our members and consumers, which says a lot about the support and impact they have had.

“Winners have been chosen for their successes in standing the test of time; for being convivial, characterful and community-focused, and of course for consistently pouring great pints. I applaud these pubs for their dedication, for being community stalwarts and campaigning heroes.”

The full successful cohort contains 32 pubs, including five that have appeared in all 48 editions of the Good Beer Guide, the longest standing community-owned pub in the country, and the current Pub of the Year title holder. Nominations for the Golden Awards were made by CAMRA members and locals. Over 240 pubs submitted were whittled down to the list of awardees.

The Golden Awards will be celebrating recipients in three different categories: ‘Pubs’, ‘Pints’, and ‘People’. The winners in the ‘Pints’ and ‘People’ categories will be announced later in the year. Local presentation events are in the process of being arranged, with each pub receiving a certificate of achievement.

CAMRA will be celebrating their 50th anniversary throughout 2021, with a host of activity including a new biography 50 Years of CAMRA, awards for campaigners, pubs and breweries, virtual festivals, and commemorative merchandise. Learn more on our 50th Anniversary page: https://camra.org.uk/50-years/