CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2011, launched today (Thursday 16th September 2010), has applauded the growing trend of community owned pubs.
With 39 pubs closing every week, more tight-knit communities are banding together to save their local pub from closure.
Roger Protz, editor of the Good Beer Guide said,
"It is great to see more and more communities coming together to save their local pubs from closure. A community pub offers locals the best place to socialise and I was delighted to see that seven community-owned pubs made it into to this year's guide. It just goes to show how successful these schemes can be."
The seven community pubs that appear in the 2011 Good Beer Guide are as follows:
Red Lion, The Green, Preston, Hertfordshire, SG4 7UD (Page 203, Good Beer Guide 2011)
This is the country's oldest community-run pub. It's an attractive Georgian building in a small village where many houses were designed by the famous architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.
In 1982, Whitbread, which owned the pub, announced it planned to turn it into a steak house. Locals felt this would destroy the intimate character of the pub and force out the local cricket teams who used it before and after matches. A steak house would also attract unwanted traffic from such large neighbouring towns as Hitchin, Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage.
So a group of locals raised the cash to buy the pub and formed a board of directors: they received a message of support from the Queen Mother, whose family has historic roots in Hertfordshire.
Today the successful and award-winning pub is run for the community by Jo and Ray Lambe.
The Red Lion was named CAMRA Hertfordshire Pub of the Year in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2006.
New Inn, Shipton Road, Shipton Gorge, Dorset, DT6 4LT (Page 136, Good Beer Guide 2011)
The New Inn is a remote rural pub that was saved from closure in 2006 by a group of local people who lease it from Palmer's, the family-owned brewery in Bridport.
Under local control, the New Inn has become the focus for many village activities and plays a vital role in an isolated community that has lost its post office and village shop.
The pub stages regular quiz nights and coffee mornings and offers special meals for pensioners. It attracts visitors walking the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage site.
Star Inn, 2 Back Hope Street, Higher Broughton, Salford, Greater Manchester, M7 2FR (Page 326, Good Beer Guide 2011)
The Star proves that pubs can be saved in big cities as well as small villages.
The pub, in The Cliff area of Salford, was closed by Stockport brewer Frederic Robinson in 2009 and was bought by a group of regulars who formed a co-operative that now has 62 shareholders.
The pub is run by an 11-strong management committee. It has a house beer brewed by local craft brewer Bazens.
Angel Inn, Main Street, Grosmont, Gwent, NP7 8EP (Page 572, Good Beer Guide 2011)
The Angel Inn is a pub of historic importance, close to Grosmont Castle on the Three Castles Walk.
When the pub was threatened with closure, it meant the heart would be ripped out of the community as the Angel is the last pub in the village.
Locals raised £250,000 to buy the pub. The Angel sells beer from Tomos Watkin and Wye Valley and stages beer and cider festivals in the summer. There's often live music at weekends.
Jolly Farmer, Church Road, Cookham Dean, Berkshire, SL6 9PD (Page 43, Good Beer Guide 2011)
This is a fine example of how a pub can be saved and become a vital hub of the community.
In 1987 Courage announced it would sell the pub, with plans for it to become a curry restaurant.
As a result of local protests, Courage abandoned the sale and said it would sell the pub to the community for £300,000. Sixty shareholders clubbed together and raised £250,000 while Courage gave the remaining money through a loan with a clause saying that the more beer the pub sells the less interest is charged.
The pub has taken on the services of the local post office and there are plans to run a community shop on land next to the pub.
There are regular beer festivals and as well as Brakspear Bitter and Young's Bitter the pub still sells Courage Best.
Three Horseshoes, Dye House Road, Thursley, Surrey, GU8 6QD (Page 438, Good Beer Guide)
This pub was threatened with closure when a developer wanted to turn it into private housing.
The pub was closed for five years but was re-opened in 2004 when it was bought by a group of locals.
It's now one of the most successful pubs in the area, attracting visitors to the Devil's Punchbowl and Thursley Nature Reserve. The pub offers cask beers from Hogs Back and Surrey Hills craft breweries and families are welcomed to a two-acre garden.
Old Crown, Main Street, Hesket Newmarket, Cumbria, CA7 8JG (Page 92, Good Beer Guide 2011)
The Old Crown is Britain's best-known community-run pub. It's the last pub in the village and when it was threatened with closure locals formed a co-op to buy it and run it.
A second co-op was set up to run the small Hesket Newmarket Brewery behind the pub. The pub has twice been visited by Prince Charles as it's a prime example of how a pub can be the hub of its community.
For a full list of community-owned pubs please visit
www.camra.org.uk/gbgmedia
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The 2011 edition of CAMRA's best-selling guide to Britain's 4,500 best real ale pubs
will be launched on Thursday 16th September 2010.
38th edition of the original independent guide to great beer and good pubs.
There is no charge for entry into the Good Beer Guide. All entries are surveyed on a regular basis by CAMRA members. Other guides may only send a questionnaire and may never be visited.
Information about pub facilities for families and disabled visitors, history, architecture, food, accommodation, local places of interest... and of course, the beer: the best pubs serving the finest real ale in the country.
Unique brewery section listing all British real ale breweries and their regular beers.
Radio Interviews:
Please call CAMRA's Press Office on 01727 798443 if you would like an interview with the Good Beer Guide's Editor Roger Protz or a local CAMRA spokesperson on Thursday 16th September 2010. CAMRA has ISDN facilities.
Good Beer Guide Media Site - Available from Tuesday 14th September 2010:
Please visit the new Good Beer Guide Media Site - www.camra.org.uk/gbgmedia. Here you will find press releases, regional stories, photographs, book imagery and plenty of other interesting information to support the launch of the guide.
Review Copies:
Please email
if you are interested in receiving a review copy of the guide. Limited numbers available.
Good Beer Guide Sponsorship:
The 2011 Good Beer Guide is sponsored by Cask Marque - www.cask-marque.co.uk
For further information:
CAMRA Press Office: 01727 798443
Tony Jerome, Senior Press Manager: 07736 948186
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