Saturday, April 19, 2025

Wigan Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA)

CAMPAIGNING for REAL ALE in WIGAN and surrounding areas

ClubsPubs and Bars

Wigan CAMRA Annual Awards

Mike Fergie

Up to five different awards are either announced or decided each year at Wigan CAMRA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). Those awards are: –

  • Pub of the Year
  • Cider & Perry Pub of the Year
  • Club of the Year
  • Community Pub of the Year
  • Best New Cask Outlet

Pub of the Year process

  1. The Branch Committee will compile a list of pubs & bars to enable Branch members to vote for their pub of the season. The list will comprise those in the Good Beer Guide, those that were on the GBG shortlist and any other pub or bar that has won a Pub of the Season Award in that year. The list will be presented to a Branch meeting for members to endorse and to agree the inclusion of any other pub nominated from the floor known to serve beer in good condition.
  2. All Branch members will then be invited to vote for one of the pubs on the approved list. Voting will be made via an on-line ballot, with one vote per member. Invitations to vote will be sent via the Branch email circulation and via a link on the Branch website.
  3. Based on the number of votes received for each pub or bar, the Branch Committee will create a short-list of six to go forward to the assessment process.
  4. That process involves the Branch Committee appointing a panel of judges whose role is to visit each of the establishments on the shortlist and carry out an assessment based on similar criteria and score cards as per the CAMRA regional round of this competition. All Branch members are eligible for consideration for membership of the panel and a general invite to participate will be sent to all members.
  5. The criteria are –
    • quality and condition of product
    • promotion and knowledge of product
    • cleanliness and staff hygiene
    • community focus and atmosphere
    • service, welcome and offering
    • style, décor and furnishing
    • sympathy with CAMRA’s aims
    • overall impression & value
  6. The Branch Committee will collate the scores and announce the winner at the following Branch Annual General Meeting.
  7. The winning pub will be receive an award and progress to CAMRA’s Regional Pub of the Year competition

Cider Pub of the Year process

  1. All branch members are invited to nominate a pub from the Wigan CAMRA branch area using an online form, to form a shortlist of up to 5 pubs.
  2. All members are invited to judge the shortlisted pubs using the same guidelines and score cards as those used during the regional round of the competition. Judging categories in 2022 were: –
    1. quality and condition of product
    1. promotion and knowledge of product
    1. cleanliness and staff hygiene
    1. service, welcome and offering
    1. style, décor and furnishing
    1. community focus and atmosphere
    1. sympathy with CAMRA’s aims
    1. overall impression and value
  3. The judges’ scores are collated and the winner is announced during the Branch AGM.
  4. The winning pub will be presented with the award and progress to CAMRA’s Regional Cider & Perry Pub of the Year competition

Club of the Year process

  1. All branch members are invited to nominate a club from the Wigan CAMRA branch area using an online form, to form a shortlist of up to 5 clubs.
  2. All members are invited to judge the shortlisted clubs using the same guidelines and score cards as those used during the regional round of the competition. Judging categories in 2022 were: –
    1. quality and condition of product
    1. promotion and knowledge of product
    1. cleanliness and staff hygiene
    1. service, welcome and offering
    1. style, décor and furnishing
    1. community focus and atmosphere
    1. sympathy with CAMRA’s aims
    1. overall impression and value
  3. The judges’ scores are collated and the winner is announced during the Branch AGM.
  4. The winning club will be presented with the award and progress to CAMRA’s Regional Club of the Year competition

Community Pub of the Year

  1. All branch members are invited to nominate a club from the Wigan CAMRA branch area using an online form, including a description of why the pub should win the award
  2. Voting takes place exclusively in-person during the Branch AGM and the winner is announced there and then.
  3. The winning pub will be presented with the award. There is no regional or national Community Pub of the Year competition

Best New Cask Outlet

  1. All branch members are invited to nominate a pub or other venue that has recently started serving cask-conditioned ale from the Wigan CAMRA branch area using an online form
  2. The venue must have first started serving cask-conditioned ale within 4-16 months of the AGM
  3. Voting takes place exclusively in-person during the Branch AGM and the winner is announced there and then.
  4. The winner will be presented with the award. There is no regional or national Best New Cask Outlet competition

Full details, eligibility and timelines

Full details of all of the awards processes can be found in the motion that was passed at Wigan CAMRA’s 2022 AGM here.