Pub of the Year
Each year, we select one pub in the Borough of Croydon area as
our "Croydon Pub of the Year" and one pub in the Borough of Sutton as our
"Sutton Pub of the Year". To achieve this much sort after award, the licensee
has not only to have served consistently high quality cask conditioned ale (the
criteria for selection for CAMRA's annual Good Beer Guide) throughout the year
but also to have actively promoted real ale and provided the best possible
conditions to enjoy it.
This year, we are pleased to announce that the winners are:
For Croydon:
The Claret Free House, 5A Bingham Road, Addiscombe
A true free house, privately owned, this pub has become a haven for ale drinkers with it's constantly changing
range of real ales with always a selection from the small brewers and Palmers and Shepherd Neame ales as well.
We warmly recommend this long term Good Beer Guide entry to everyone.
For Sutton:
The Robin Hood, West Street, Sutton
This fine Youngs tied house provides the full range of Youngs ales in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Although only a short distance off the High Street in Sutton, it provides welcome respite from the fizzy pop drinking establishments there and is thouroughly recommended.
In addition, the Robin Hood has been selected to go forward to the Greater London CAMRA Pub of the Year judging.
Pub of the Year presentation to the Claret Free House
 The presentation of the certificate for Croydon Pub of the Year was made to the Guvnor John Rand on Wednesday 7th June.
A large group of members met to sup the excellent ale and a good time was had by all!
David Lands, the chair person of Croydon & Sutton CAMRA made the presentation at 9pm,
shown in this photo (click on the photo to enlarge)
and made a short speech and we spent the rest of the evening
enjoying the hospitality of this fine bar.
Pub of the Year presentation to the Robin Hood
The presentation of the certificate for Suton Pub of the Year was made to the Guvnor Ken Green on Wednesday 14th June.
A large group of members met to sup the excellent range of Youngs ales.
A photographer turned up from Sutton Guardian and had Ken and his wife along with David tied up with photographs for half an hour!
The photographer from Youngs also turned up so look out for photos in the Youngs house magazine as well as the local paper.
David Lands again made the presentation at about 9pm - I'm sure he was glad to escape from the photographers and get a drink!
Beer of the Festival
2005
At our 12th Croydon
& Sutton Real Ale Festival held as usual at Wallington Hall last October, a large number of you
voted for "Beer of the Festival", and after several recounts we are pleased to announce that the winner is: Fuller's Vintage Ale!
Fullers invited a party of festival staff to tour the brewery and sample some ales so on 18th January, 18 members assembed in the Hock Cellar at 6.30pm, despite problems on the railways with a gas leak at Battersea.
We were met by John Keeling, Director of Brewing and Simon Roberston Macleod, Nation Accounts Manager and plied with copious ales in excellent nick.
John then took us round the brewery - always a good tour for all the anecdotes that John comes up with - no two tours are ever the same!
Returning to the Hock Cellar, a buffet supper was served and then the important bit - the presentation of the Beer of the Festival Award was made by Dave Bell, the festival organiser.
Further quantities of ale were consumed until we reluctantly took our leave about 9.45.
Once again, many thanks to Fullers.
May we take this
opportunity to thank all who attended and helped to make the festival such a
success, and especially those people who took the time to vote for "Beer of the
Festival" - it really helps us when deciding what to order for the next
year!
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