A popular micropub in South Tyneside has scooped the North East Cider Pub of the Year award.
Judges from Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) awarded Blue's Micropub in Whitburn the esteemed title based on the quality and condition of the cider, promotion and knowledge of the product as well as the service and welcome. They also took style, décor and furnishing, community focus, and atmosphere into consideration.
Blue's is run by Callum Watson and Alice Pye and opened just before the first lockdown in 2020. However, in just two years Blue's has already made its presence felt in the North East region and was included in the 2022 Good Beer Guide. It also won the South Tyneside Cider Pub of the Year.
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The Cleveland, Darlington, Durham, Sunderland & South Tyneside and Tyneside & Northumberland branches that make up the North East Region hold local pub or club competitions and the winners go forward to the regional competitions. The winner of each competition is then judged against the winners of the other 15 regions before it is then reduced to four who go forward to the final round to find the national pub or club of the year.
CAMRA North East Cider Coordinator, Bill Wilkinson, who announced the winner said: "For those of you who have never been to Blue's it is an urban village pub with a rural, community village pub atmosphere. Even if you are not interested in cider the pub does offer an interesting selection of cask and keg beers and has an upstairs bottle and can shop for carry-outs.
"Like most micropubs, it is in former retail premises and sits directly across the road from the village Co-op convenience store which sits in the former Grey Horse pub. Ironic or what?"
He added: "The branch is delighted that Blues has won the North East Cider Pub of the Year on its first attempt. The progress that Alice and Callum have made in the last two years; considering they were only open around a month before the first lockdown.
"They have been very innovative in turning the pub into a bottle shop during lockdown and the pub has proven so popular that they have extended the indoor seating area and opened an outside drinking area to the rear.
"With weekly pie and pint evenings and cheeseboards on Sundays joined recently by a monthly whisky evening, Blues is always worth a visit. There is always an interesting range of beer and cider available. As with all micropubs, there is no intrusive music or TVs and the lost art of conversation rules."
Bill presented the winner's certificate to Callum and Alice on Saturday, September 17. The runner-up in this year's regional cider pub of the year competition is the Station House in Durham City, which is also CAMRA's northeast pub of the year.
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