This year the overall winner of the Dumfries and Stewartry Pub of the Year is Clachan Inn, in St John’s Town of Dalry, which also took the Stewartry area Pub award.
A group of local CAMRA members presented the awards to Laurie Burnie and Phil Papworth on 28th April 2018. The Clachan Inn is situated on the Southern Upland Way offering excellent food and real ales, to both walkers and visitors in its welcoming traditional atmosphere. An award is also made to the Dumfries and Stewartry Cider Pub of the Year, which went for the second year running to Blue Bell Inn, in Annan, which also took the Dumfriesshire area Pub award.
Chairman of the local CAMRA group, Trevor Hayward, explained how the CAMRA awards have been decided: “We have around 120 members in our branch and they are all invited to vote for their nominated Pub of the Year. We then take all these nominations along with beer scores submitted throughout the year via the CAMRA WhatPub system for the quality of real ale being sold to decide on the winners. Our Dumfries and Stewartry branch region is large, so we split the voting into three areas: Dumfriesshire, Dumfries Town and the Stewartry and select three area winning pubs as well as one overall winner”.
The Blue Bell Inn is a former coaching inn offering local beers and cider, holding annual beer and cider festivals.
The Clachan Inn and Blue Bell Inn now go forward to the regional heats to select Scottish winners to go into the national CAMRA pub of the year competitions.
Below is a full round up of who won what in the 2018 Pub of the Year Awards from the Dumfries and Stewartry branch of CAMRA.
PUB OF THE YEAR Dumfriesshire Area Winner – Blue Bell Inn, Annan Dumfries Town Area Winner – Cavens Arms, Dumfries Stewartry Area Winner – Clachan Inn, St John’s Town of Dalry
OVERALL DUMFRIES AND STEWARTRY PUB OF THE YEAR WINNER: CLACHAN INN, ST JOHN’S TOWN OF DALRY
OVERALL DUMFRIES AND STEWARTRY CIDER PUB OF THE YEAR WINNER: BLUE BELL INN, ANNAN
Anyone with an interest in real ale is encouraged to join us at our various events and play a part in local activities by simply joining CAMRA. Visit our website HERE, or search for the CAMRA Dumfries group to find our Facebook page if you want more information.
