REGULARS of a Reading town centre pub toasted the landlord and his team last week, after they were awarded a top honour.
The Alehouse in Broad Street has been named Pub of the Year by Reading and Mid-Berkshire CAMRA.
Has previously won cider pub of the year in 2012, 2013 and 2022, and was runner-up of the pub of the year award in 2019.
Winners are voted for by members of the real ale society, and is the most prestigious award the group can offer.
The recipient is then put forward to the regional contest, with the best in class then going on to compete for the national pub of the year title.
A shortlist of 10 pubs was whittled down to five finalists, with members asked to consider several criteria before making their decisions.
This includes quality and condition of the beers, promotion, and knowledge of them, the service and welcome, community focus, and an overall impression.
The other finalists were The Bell in Waltham St Lawrence, The Bull Inn in Sonning, The Fox and Hounds in Caversham, The Nags Head in Reading, and The Retreat, also in Reading.
Carl Mellors, the landlord of The Alehouse, was presented with his award at a short ceremony held on Wednesday, April 5.
He said: “It’s brilliant.
“Winning is something I’ve been aiming for since I took the pub over, it’s great to have finally got the accolade.
“The fact it’s something people voted for is absolutely marvellous. It’s a vindication of the way we’re running the place and the way my staff are working.”
He was particularly taken by an online review he had read just before he was presented with the award.
“Somebody just said, ‘It’s a great little place with staff who know what they’re talking about and care about what they’re selling’.
“That’s it at the end of the day – we’re looking to sell good beer, and we make the effort to ensure we know what we’re doing.”
And Mr Mellors is not resting on his laurels – the visit from the regional judges will be anonymous.
“They will turn up out of the blue and assess the place,” he said. “So, we’ll keep going, but keep trying to improve and there are things I want to tweak to improve.
“We’ll keep moving forward.”
He added: “I’m a happy man, a very happy man.”
The Bell has won Cider Pub of the Year and will be presented with its award this weekend.
