A Harrogate craft beer bar has been named Pub of the Year not for its real ale — but for its real cider.
Major Tom’s Social in The Ginnel was awarded the title by the local branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) due to the quality of the cider it serves.
CAMRA said in a press release that although cider, made from apples, and perry, made from pears, are usually associated with south-west England there are a number of excellent Yorkshire producers, for example in Masham, Thornborough, and Husthwaite.
Lauren Wray, assistant general manager at Major Tom’s Social, said:
“We’re really pleased to receive this award. It’s quite an honour, and it’s a nice asset to the bar.
“We’ve only started focusing more on cider over the last year or two, but it sells really well. We’re obviously best known for our beer, so it was quite a surprise to get an award for our cider.”
According to CAMRA’s definition, real cider is fermented from the whole juice of fresh pressed apples – or pears in the case of perry.
It precludes the common practice of using concentrate or diluted juices to boost strength through the addition of sugar to an unnatural level for storage, before then diluting it with water to the desired alcohol content for sale.
Alan Gould, chairman of the Harrogate and Ripon branch of CAMRA, said:
“CAMRA campaigns for a high quality of materials and production methods, whether that’s in beer, cider or perry.
“Major Tom’s sell real cider, and that’s really not very common. They keep it in the right condition and get it from the right sources – small scale, artisanal producers who make craft cider well.”
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‘Intimate gem’ Knaresborough pub wins rare award for beer quality
A pub in Knaresborough Market Place has been recognised for serving high quality real ale for three decades.
Blind Jack’s was awarded a certificate by the Campaign for Real Ale last night for 30 years’ continuous appearance in the Good Beer Guide.
The guide, produced annually by CAMRA, is the UK’s premier guide to the best beer in the country.
A total of 24 local pubs feature in the recently published 2023 edition. But it is not believed any can match Blind Jack’s record of being included every year in the last 30.
Christian Ogley and his wife Alice bought Blind Jack’s five years ago from Ian Fozard, the owner of Harrogate brewers Roosters.
Blind Jack’s on Market Place
Mr Ogley said only a handful of pubs in the country could match Blind Jack’s long-term record for consecutive appearances in the ale drinkers’ bible.
He said conditions in the 400-year-old building were ideal for maintaining ale at the right temperature and the pub also kept the quality high by ensuring a high turnover of live cask ales.
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Alun Gauld, chairman of the Harrogate and Ripon branch of CAMRA, presented a certificate to the owners last night. He said:
“Christian and Alice were overjoyed to have their hard work at the pub recognised by CAMRA and the certificate will join the other awards on the pub’s trophy display wall.
“In the pub’s first Good Beer Guide entry back in 1993 it was described as an intimate gem and it remains a gem to this day. “
The certificate presented last night
Mr Gauld said two other Harrogate district pubs had been in the Good Beer Guide regularly for many years — the White Bear in Masham and the One Eyed Rat in Ripon.
But he said he was only sure Blind Jack’s had been listed in the publication every year for the last three decades.