Hello Members,

It will soon be time for CAMRA members in Durham Branch to choose which of the pubs and clubs in our branch area should hold the titles Pubs and Club for the Year for 2017. These will then go forward for consideration as CAMRA North East Regional Pubs and Club of the Year. There are five categories – Town Pub of the Year, Country Pub of the Year, Club of the Year, Town Cider Pub of the Year and Country Cider Pub of the Year.

Throughout 2016 the respective holders have been Ye Old Elm Tree, Durham City, The Dun Cow, Seaton, Tanfield Lea Working Men's Club, The John Duck, Durham City and the Black Lion, Wolsingham. Ye Old Elm Tree and Tanfield Lea WMC both went on to take 3rd places in the NE regional judging, whilst the Black Lion won NE Regiona Ciderl Pub of the Year and was then placed 4th in the national final (very well done Sara-Jane!).

You can find a list of recent winners at http://www.camradurham.org.uk/awards/

We would like all of our branch members to have a say in the awards for 2017 and would like to hear from you now with any nominations as best pubs and club (with real ale) in Durham Branch's area - those with the most nominations will be added to the winners of the our Pubs of the Seasons in 2016 (the Grey Horse, Consett, the Half Moon, Durham City, the Smiths Arms, Castle Dene and the Pollards, Bishop Auckland) to make a short list from which the winners will for 2017 will be selected..

There are no rigid criteria as to which establishments can be nominated other than they must be in our branch area and must serve real ale and, for the cider pubs, they must have a commitment to providing real cider on a regular basis. You may, however, want to consider such thing as community involvement, atmosphere, decor, range and quality of ales, events held, customer service and so on.

So, if you have a favourite real ale pub, club, or cider pub that you think deserves to have the title of Pub/Club of the Year, please let us know by sending your nominations to pubsofficer@camradurham.org.uk by the end of December, Don’t forget to let us know the reason(s) for your choice. You can, of course, nominate in all five categories and, for joint memberships, both parties can vote, but separately please.

To make a nomination you must be a CAMRA member from the Durham Branch area, so please include your membership number in the e-mail. This will be used for verification purposes only and your selections will not be disclosed.

To encourage members to submit nominations, a copy of the Good Beer Guide 2017 will be awarded to one lucky member whose name will be drawn immediately after the closing date from among those who have voted.

Dave Thornton

CAMRA Durham Pubs Officer

December 2016