Judging the Pub of the Year competition
In his weekly Barman column, Jeff Hoyles discusses the CAMRA contest...
Time. It passes inexorably measured by the tick of the clock, yet Einstein in his Theory of Relativity claims that the rate that it passes is dependent on the observer.
Experiments have been conducted comparing clocks speeding through space with those on earth. There is a more convenient way to investigate this. Enter the lift in the hotel in Bedford and breathe a sigh of relief as one guest exits on the first floor. The extra space created is all the more welcome as the elevator judders to a halt somewhere between floor two and three.
Of course, the doors will not open and while the alarm button sounds reassuringly loud inside, it seems to elicit little response. For the rest of the world, a few short minutes pass before the lift is reset and normal service is resumed, but inside the time stretches and I can swear that several hours passed, though I do accept that the evidence of my watch would contradict this.
Still, all was well and we could continue our mission which was to visit and judge the winners of the CAMRA Pub of the Year competition in six of the eastern counties. Not an easy task with three country pubs, a couple of suburban community pubs and one on the edge of the city centre.
Unfortunately, our selection, the Angel at Larling, had fallen at the first hurdle, with the White Lion in Norwich taking the Norfolk honours. There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of brilliant pubs in Norwich which just pip our selection every year. But it is difficult to argue that this year it was not on merit. A double celebration for them, as they also took the crown as best cider pub in the county.
So, what of their opposition? The Lordship Arms at Bennington, near Stevenage, is the favourite haunt of one of my subscribers to Norfolk Nips. Rod, who puts a Gregory Peck in the post every few months, really rates the place and I can see why. The landlord was really chatty and welcoming. Did he have an inkling of our mission? Maybe, but I was really impressed.
The Endeavour in Chelmsford was a cracking community pub at the edge of the city and was similar in some ways to the Wellington in Bedford. The King of the Belgians near Huntingdon is a serial winner of the Cambridgeshire title and this was our third or fourth visit. It is hampered by the layout which makes it a tad difficult to reach the bar, but it is easy to see why people like it so much.
My personal favourite was the Suffolk entry, the Rumburgh Buck, close to Bungay and the Norfolk border. We were there early on a Sunday lunchtime and it was everything one could want from a pub. Chatty and interesting locals, a pleasant and knowledgeable landlady, old wooden settles and a flag floor complemented by the decoration. Perfection. Will this be reflected in the scores I submit?
What would make the difference? There were a couple where smoke and vape fumes wafted in through an open door, while one even permitted indoor vaping. The welcome from the staff varied, but that could be a reflection of the number of customers clamouring to be served. All had great beer, as indeed they should. Still, if I could take the lift again and go back in time, where would I go? I think that it would be the Buck, but please can I request a stop or two on the way? Stop Press. It was the Endeavour that won.
