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Abercolwyn Area Awards 2008

 

  Penrhyn Arms, Penrhynside – Penrhyn Arms, Penrhynside is CAMRA Welsh Cider & Perry Pub of the Year 2008  
 

It’s been a great year for John & Sharon Sumbland at the Penrhyn Arms in Penrhynside as far as cider and perry are concerned. Earlier this year they won the Abercolwyn CAMRA award for Cider Pub of the Year and then went on to win the Regional Competition for Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales and it has now named the best cider pub for the whole of Wales . A presentation took place at the pub recently where the four ciders and one perry on offer were all Welsh. From Gwynt-y-Draig in Pontypridd were Farmhouse Sweet and Haymaker plus Two Trees Perry and, hailing from Llandegla near Wrexham, were Rosies Triple D Medium and Dry (both 7.2%). There was some great food served at the presentation including cider sausages, gammon cooked in cider and even bara brith made from cider. This caps off a great year from John & Sharon as they recently celebrated the arrival of their second child Lydia . Landlord John was on hand to receive the accolade for Welsh Cider & Perry Pub of the Year 2008 and was delighted that his efforts had been recognised by members of CAMRA and locals alike.

Pictured is John Sumbland (left) receiving the award from Ian Saunders, CAMRA’s Regional Cider Co-ordinator for North Wales .

 
 
 
  Wings Social Club, Colwyn Bay – Branch Club of the Year, Regional Club of the Year  
 

A local social club had just received a major award from CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). After winning the local Club of the Year competition earlier this year, the Wings Social Club in Colwyn Bay had been voted Regional Club of the Year 2008 by members of CAMRA from Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales. This means that the club is now recognised by CAMRA as being in the top 16 clubs in the country. There were a couple of special guests at the presentation including Assembly Member Mark Isherwood and CAMRA Regional Director for Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales Ian Garner. Speaking at the presentation Mr. Garner commended the pub on serving excellent quality real ales and said the judges had been very impressed with the welcome they received at the club and the hospitality extended to them. Ian singled out steward Dawn Prosser-Richards for particular praise for keeping the ale in such good order. The club serves beers from the J.W. Lees brewery: Brewers Dark, Bitter and a seasonal beer such as John Willies, a premium 4.5% bitter. Dawn put on a fantastic buffet for the presentation that included a lamb stew cooked in real ale and a great time was had by all.

 
 
 
 

Penrhyn Arms, Penrhynside – Branch Pub of the Year, Branch Cider & Perry Pub of the Year, Regional Cider Pub of the Year, Welsh Cider & Perry Pub of the Year

 
 
 
 

The Penrhyn Arms in Penrhynside has been presented with the award for Regional Cider pub of the Year . Early this year, the pub won the Abercolwyn Branch Cider Pub of the Year making it the best cider pub in the county of Conwy but this Regional award now makes it the best in the region of Merseyside, Cheshire & North Wales and is now in a competition to make the best in all of Wales . Why so many accolades? Well, quite simply, it is the best outlet for miles around for quality cider and perry at competitive prices.The pubs reputation has spread far and wide meaning that it is able to stock up to four ciders and a perry at any one time. At the recent presentation there were two from the south of England : Black Rat and Cheddar Valley , a Gwynt-y-Draig Malvern Hills Perry from Pontypridd and two local ciders from Llandegla near Wrexham Rosies Triple D and Wicked Wasp. The presentation was attended by many locals and CAMRA members including Ian Saunders – CAMRA Regional Cider Co-ordinator for North Wales and Rhys Jones who is a member of CAMRA’s National Committee for cider and Perry. Pictured is Rhys Jones (left) presenting the award to licensee John Sumbland (seen drinking a pint of Wicked Wasp).

 
 
 
  Valentine, Llanddulas – Most Improved Pub of the Year  
 

Most Improved Pub of the Year 2008 had gone to the Valentine in Llanddulas. Licensee Richard Rhodes is therefore for the first landlord to win this award for a second time because in 2004 Richard took the accolade at the Plough in Old Colwyn. The Valentine has been missing from CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide since 1999 but with Richie’s guidance it is back where it belongs. The Valentine is a small traditional pub with separate lounge and bar areas and although the interior has had a makeover, the overall character of the pub has remained the same. What has changed is the quality and variety of the real ales. The famous Plough beer festivals have now been transported to the ‘Val’. At Easter there is a Welsh Ales festival and at the summer bank holiday there is a Celtic Ales festival with beers from Wales , Scotland , Cornwall and even the Isle of Man. It was at the latter festival that the Most Improved Pub Award was presented. Abercolwyn branch Chairman IanSaunders commended Richard for restoring the pub to its former glory, the pub which was once the home of the local CAMRA branch.

 
 
 
  Kinmel Arms, St. George – Mild Pub of the Year  
 

During the month of May CAMRA celebrates the traditional beer style of mild. Mild tends to be darker and maltier than other beer styles and often slightly lower in alcohol. Each year the Abercolwyn branch of CAMRA presents an award to the pub which has shown the greatest dedication to mild during the year and particularly during May. This years award went to Lynn Cunnah-Watson and Tim Watson of the Kinmel Arms in St. George. During May they featured no less than eight different milds which, for the record, were Thwaites, Cottage Black Prince,Woodlands, Spitting Feathers Dark Velvet, Phoenix Monkeytown, Coach House Gunpowder, Great Orme Welsh Black and Moorhouses Black Cat.

 
 
 
  Queens Head, Glanwydden – Food Pub of the Year  
  Recently the Abercolwyn branch of CAMRA announced its Food Pub of the Year 2008. The Queens Head in Glanwydden was the recipient of this year’s award. The pub is featured in the Good Beer Guide and is also in CAMRA’s Good Pub Food guide and with a star no less. They won the accolade because of the combination of good quality real ale and excellent food. They pride them selves on using local produce for their dishes. Even one of the beers on the bar comes from the local Great Orme brewery; in fact the Fish and Chips in Beer Batter uses this beer.After the presentation, four of us decided to sample some of the dishes. The starters tried were: deep fried brie with salad and a peach chutney; avocado, smoked salmon and prawns with an accompanying salad and crusty bread; and finally asparagus risotto topped with a poached egg. All were of a generous size and declared excellent by all. As we were dining on a Sunday lunchtime there were roasts on offer. The main meals we had were: roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and roast loin of pork with crackling, both these meals came with roast potatoes and a variety of fresh vegetables; Orme bitter battered fish with homemade chips and crushed peas; pan seared queen scallops on a pea puree accompanied by bread and butter. Everything was delicious and could not be faulted, but by now we were all too full to embark on the sweet menu which had hot and cold sweets although one of our party managed to squeeze in a coffee with homemade fudge.
Some of the other meals on offer include fish or chicken curry, sea food vol-au-vent, pasta dishes and in the evening different steaks or gammon, many of which we have tried over time and always found to be of excellent quality and well presented.

 
  The Toad, Rhos-on-Sea – Pub of the Season – Spring  
 

Recently, the Abercolwyn branch of CAMRA announced that the award for Pub of Season Spring 2008 has gone to Peter Hammond of The Toad, Rhos-on-Sea,Colwyn Bay.Peter has turned the pub around and guided it through a refurbishment and the trauma of builing work going on around him to put the Toad back where it blongs,in CAMRA`s Good Beer Guide.The pub now has a great atmosphere with a good mix of customers from locals to the food lover’s who come to sample the pub’s excellent cuisine and the tourists who flock there during holiday periods. Most importantly, as far as CAMRA is concerned, the real ales on offer are in excellent condition. Jennings Cumberland Ale (4% ABV) is always available and on the evening of the award presentation there were two guest beers: Marstons Dragon’s Tale (4.5%) and Wadworth The Bishop’s Tipple (5%). Everyone present, CAMRA members and locals alike, had a great evening and agreed that Peter deserved the accolade for all of his hard work

 

 
 
 
  White Lion, Llanelian-yn-Rhos – Pub of the Season – Summer  
 

Pub of the Season award for Summer 2008 has gone to Simon & Nina Cole of the White Lion, Llanelian-yn-Rhos. The pub has been in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide for 17 consecutive years, longer than any other in the County of Conwy. The reason is the consistent quality of real ale that they sell. Branch chairman Ian Saunders commended Simon & Nina with running such a great pub saying that the quality of the beer had actually improved in the last few months and the variety of guest beers had increased. The guest beer on the night of the presentation came from the new local brewery in Llanrwst: Bragdy’r Nant. The beer is called Pen Dafad (Sheep’s Head) and is a premium bitter of 4.2% ABV (Alcohol by Volume). This complemented the two regular beers: Marstons Bitter and Pedigree. Great food is also available in the White Lion and Simon & Nina were thrilled to receive the accolade.

 

 
 
 
  Picture House, Colwyn Bay – Pub of the Season – Autumn  
 

The Campaign for Real Ale has just launched the Good Beer Guide 2009. The Guide contains details of the best 4,500 pubs in Britain . Amongst them is the Picture House which is the Wetherspoons pub in Colwyn and recently the Abercolwyn branch of CAMRA held a Good Beer Guide launch there. This was the first time that the pub had been featured in the guide. CAMRA chairman Ian Saunders said that it had been a great 12 months for the Picture House: they had held several national and local beer festivals at the pub featuring many local Welsh ales and the quality of the ale had been second to none. For that reason, at the launch of the guide CAMRA awarded licensee Jonathan Jarvis with the award of Pub of the Season Autumn 2008 making it a double celebration at the Wetherspoons.

Pictured left to right are Jon Lyons, cellarman, Jonathan Jarvis, Manager and Abercolwyn CAMRA chairman Ian Saunders

 
 

 

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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