Welcome to the web site of the Herefordshire Branch of The Campaign for Real Ale, the UK's only consumer group dedicated to independent breweries, traditional pubs and real ale. The branch area is the County of Herefordshire.

ANOTHER ACCOLADE!

Award for Herefordshire Pub Guide

Herefordshire Branch came away from the recent Members' Weekend at Torquay with yet another award, this time for the Third Edition of Herefordshire Pubs - shared with Oxford Branch as joint winners of Local Pub Guide of the Year.

Last year it was the Hopvine (see ►), whilst both previous editions of our local pub guide (2003 & 2006) also collected the Local Pub Guide of the Year award.

The guide is on sale in bookshops, tourist offices and pubs around the county, as well as by post. For more details and updates on changes to the pubs since publication go to Local Pub Guide.

HEREFORDSHIRE'S FIRST COMMUNITY PUB ANNOUNCED

At an extraordinary public meeting organised by Dilwyn Parish Council on the 22nd February, parishioners voted three to one for the council to proceed and seek a loan, with the aim of purchasing the premises. Fed up with the uncertainty created by a succession of leaseholders, interspersed by short periods of closure, the community are hoping this initiative will secure some much-needed stability of the pub - and will also allow for it to be developed as a community hub.

With considerable technical help from Herefordshire CAMRA, a business plan was put together. Mark Haslam explains:

"The business plan was only completed in draft form on the 27th February. This first had to pass scrutiny by Herefordshire Council, who have also been very supportive of the proposal from the outset. It only landed on the Secretary of State's desk on Monday the 5th March. A quick visit by myself down to Westminster on the 6th, was followed by its approval the following morning - without a single query being raised. By Friday morning of the same week the loan money was in the Parish Council's bank account. This was an amazingly fast turn-round and a credit to everyone concerned."

The plans are now to refurbish the much-neglected pub and let it out to a tenant. As well as proposing to sell meals made with locally-sourced food, it will also sell beers from Herefordshire, alongside numerous community facilities - including ultimately a shop. Dilwyn Parish Council will now be looking for a suitable tenant to run the business. They are looking for some-one who shares their vision of the Crown Inn taking its pride of place at the heart of the community. Could that person be you? If it is, then please contact Mr Peter Kyles of Dilwyn Parish Council for more details on (01544) 319182.

Sun Wins Pub of the Year

Having been saved from redevelopment a few years ago, the historic parlour pub, the Sun at Leintwardine has been voted Pub of the Year for 2011 by Herefordshire CAMRA.

Runner-up was the Barrels, Hereford.

See Pub News