A traditional celebration
By Andrew Sangster
Producing a guidebook is asking for trouble. The selection process is, by its very nature, subjective. Those excluded, and sometimes even those included, may be offended.
Compiling a list of the UK's top pubs is one of the most challenging tasks, as it involves choosing the best among that emotionally charged institution: the local. So all credit to the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) as it celebrates the publication of its 25th Good Beer Guide. Sales over the 25 years total more than a million copies of the book kept in glove compartments, desk drawers or stuffed in an overcoat pocket.
The Good Beer Guide is the country's most successful pub guide. The 1998 version lists around 5,000 outlets, all chosen by Camra volunteers.
Review process
The selection process can appear arbitrary as it is difficult to make volunteers follow guidelines, but the idiosyncrasies of the reviews are part of the charm. To be listed, each pub has to offer something special to the drinkers in that area.
Good pubs are sometimes excluded because they don't meet the criteria of the local branch or of the national campaign. But, overall, Camra's army of volunteers make the guide the most up-to-date and accurate available.
For those running pubs or bars the guide offers a good insight into what makes a successful traditional boozer. Only 22 outlets have been included in every edition of the guide. When looking at these entries the adjective that springs to mind is "unspoilt".
The three in London - the Buckingham Arms, the Fox & Hounds, and the Star Tavern - are typical. None of these pubs, grouped together in SW1, can be said to have an exceptionally impressive or architecturally important interior, but they are confident of what they are about.
Rather than focusing on decor they have concentrated on selling drink and, in two cases, a little food, in clean, civilised surroundings. Such an atmosphere is hard to replicate, but licensees can start by using the beer listing in the back of the guide.
The good news is that there will be four times more breweries to choose from in 1998 than there were in the first edition 25 years ago. The 1998 guide features 48 breweries that were not listed in 1997 - that's a new brewery opening almost every week somewhere in the UK. With 2,500 real ales available, it is possible to drink six different beers every day for a year and still have a few left over.
Offer a local taste
Whether a pub, bar or restaurant, you can offer your customers a taste of locally produced beer. If a nine-gallon cask is too large, many breweries will sell a non-returnable polypin of 4.5 gallons that can be racked up on, or just behind, the bar.
At this summer's Champion Beer of Britain contest at Camra's Great British Beer Festival, two of the top three beers were from new brewers. Both are worthy beers of the month. The winner was Workie Ticket, a 4.5% abv ale from Mordue Brewery (0191-296 1879) in Tyne & Wear. In third place was the 3.8% abv Best Bitter from Hobsons Brewery (01299 270837) in Shropshire. If you are not near either of these breweries, buy the 1998 Good Beer Guide (£11.99) and find one close to you.
