WALES’ BEST PUBS NAMED
ATRADITIONAL village real ale pub has been named the best in Wales by the latest edition of the Good Beer Guide.
The Bridge End Inn in Ruabon, near Wrexham, was crowned the country’s top pub by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), which produces the annual guide.
As well as listing new and existing breweries in the area, the UK’s top pubs are also listed in the book, with the Bridge End Inn named one of 16 finalists in the Camra National Pub of the Year competition, after coming out top in Wales.
The welcoming local, near the border of Wrexham and Shropshire, has its own microbrewery on site and has won numerous awards since it was revitalised by the McGivern family in 2009, and was the winner of the National Pub of the Year award in 2011.
The pub is near the village’s railway station and has three low-ceilinged rooms and a covered outdoor drinking area.
The changing range of eight ales will usually include a brew from the on-site McGivern brewery when it is operational, along with beers generally sourced within 60 miles of the pub.
It’s a family-run pub with retired teacher Peter, his wife, Gillian, and their son, Matthew, behind the business. Matthew, 38, is also in charge of the on-site brewery and choosing the ales.
“We’re honoured to win the national pub of Wales and we’re happy to be in the competition. We do our best to provide a comprehensive selection of beers,” he said.
Peter added that although they get a lot of customers coming in off the nearby train, the pub has “got a very loyal strong core” of regulars.
The pub was judged against numerous other local branch winners and was deemed to be the best in the region overall, with a perfect mix of the essential characteristics which make a great pub – atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix, but most importantly – quality real ale.
In total, the Wales region has 324 pubs listed in the guide. The pub guide is broken down by region and also town, which makes it easy to find the best pubs in your area or another area of the country you might want to visit.
Camra is a not-for-profit consumer group with 191,000 members that has been operating since 1971.
A spokesman said: “Pubs are vital to local communities and economies. In many areas and villages they provide the last remaining public meeting space, and a place to meet and socialise and feel part of a community. The emergence of gastropubs and community-run pubs has helped diversify the traditional pub offering to make them more welcoming to all sectors of society.
“In addition, micropubs have played an important role in bringing real ale to new places, such as gaps on high streets, improving choice for drinkers and providing a catalyst for real ale revival.”