Pub of the Season (PotS)

Beer scores recorded via WhatPub / Good Beer Guide web apps to the National Beer Scoring System (NBSS) for the 3-month periods below will determine venues shortlisted for PotS, with the five highest averages qualifying. Scores registered via Untappd do not go into the NBSS.

- Spring – February to April scores.
- Summer – May to July scores.
- Autumn – August to October scores.
- Winter – November to January scores.

The committee reviews NBSS data in detail to exclude scenarios such as a single member repeatedly scoring exceptionally highly, or one venue highly and all others poorly or not at all, and scores from family members of licensees for their premises and employees voting for their workplaces.

For each PotS period, the committee will produce Urban and Rural shortlists (with Kirkby, Mansfield, Mansfield Woodhouse, South Normanton and Sutton making up the Urban category). Those shortlists will be put to a member vote in a 10-day window in the month after the end of the season, to be advertised via a Comms email, on our website and social media.

Voters must record their name and membership number to validate against membership records, and votes may only be cast for venues a voter has visited and for which they have scored one or more beers in that season. You can only select one venue for each category.

Results will be announced in the following month unless there is no clear and deserving recipient identified in a season, in which case the committee may choose not to make an award. We will then present certificates to winners, seeking permission to take and share pictures, with quarterly presentations also potentially being combined into our programme of branch socials.

If a venue wins a PotS, they cannot be nominated again in the next three seasons.

Pub of the Year (PotY)

PotY will also follow the urban and rural split – where each shortlist will comprise the 4 PotS winners for those 12 months unless there have been significant changes such as closure or a change in either ownership or standards since winning. If an in-year PotS venue becomes ineligible for that year’s PotY, we may choose to shortlist the runner-up for the period in which the ineligible venue won (if the substitute hasn’t since won in a subsequent season that year) or to reduce the PotY shortlist for that category.

The PotY shortlist will NOT go forward to a member vote. Instead, all shortlisted venues will be visited and assessed against CAMRA’s national judging criteria, as used at county PotY level, with judging undertaken by experienced members of our own and other branches – preferable since the latter should not have ‘favourite pub’ conscious or unconscious bias.

---

Previous Winners

Summer 2024 Urban PotS - FireRock, Sutton-in-Ashfield

FireRock, Sutton-in-Ashfield takes the Summer Urban Pub of the Season award...

If you’re unaware of this unassuming gem on Outram Street, a short walk from the centre of Sutton, FireRock is a micropub also housing the nano-brewery of the same name.

I pop in to take a few photos for this feature and settle down with a pint of their stout ‘Kill The Ghosts’; I can see the kit through a door in front of me on which it was brewed. Over my shoulder is a sign which reads ‘No one gets out sober’. In my case, this is often laughably true, as I sometimes pop in with my neighbour for a ‘few’ when I’m not busy on a Saturday afternoon... and you can guess the rest.

For someone who likes trying new beers, it’s easy to be swayed - three cask ales are served which is always my first port of call. Once I’ve tried those, there are at least nine keykeg - some of which will be FireRock’s own - others will typically be from the likes of Atom, Azvex, Vault City, Verdant and more locally, Bang The Elephant, Black Iris and Pentrich. There’s always at least one sour and imperial stout to choose from - one on the latest visit being Reckless Dweeb’s ‘Prepare for Ship to Ship Intimacy’ at 13.9%!

Rare whiskies and rums compliment the beer on offer if that’s more to your taste. Fancy something to take out? - no problem, a large fridge sits alongside the bar and will catch your attention on the way out. Alcohol-free choices are also available in cans so you don’t have to miss out on a good beer, even if you’re a designated driver. They even do an advent calendar, tailored to your tastes.

FireRock hosts frequent events such as tap-takeovers, which this year have included Atom of Hull and Heist of Sheffield as well as Spanish and US brewery showcases. Tapp & Kork of Norway are next to fly over for a collaboration brew session, the results of which you’ll see on the bar from Thursday 7th November. A week after is their Dark Beer Festival ‘Fear of the Dark’, taking place 14th-17th November which the branch has chosen for its monthly social.

6th birthday celebrations take place in early December. Expect four days of live music and many extra keg lines added.

Congratulations to Danny, Neil and the team on taking the Summer Pub of the Season award - I’m sure everyone who knows them will agree it’s well deserved.

Summer 2024 Rural PotS - Horse & Jockey, Selston

The Horse & Jockey, Selston was your Summer Rural pub of the Season...

The presentation took place during our September Branch Meeting and there was no shortage of people to congratulate landlady Alison and the team on their award.

The pub, which dates back to 1664, is reportedly the 14th oldest in the country. You wouldn’t guess that from the exterior, but venture inside and you’ll find carved wooden benches, open fires and flagstone floors. The building comprises three main rooms, with the bar being opposite the entrance on the lower of the three (it’s on a hill). There is also a snug between the bar and toilets.

The pub has been no stranger to the Good Beer Guide, featuring every year since 2008, save from the recent years when the branch dissolved.

Four real ales are served with Greene King Abbot being a permanent feature. The other beers on the night were Nottingham Citra, Greene King Old Speckled Hen and Bass. A selection of real ciders is also available.

Bass is a beer I have only tried a few times - many years ago - so I went for that and found it paler than I expected and a really enjoyable beer in fine form here. Blue Monkey Infinity is often on the bar and in the winter months I’ve been lucky enough to drop by when Titanic Plum Porter Grand Reserve (6.5%) is on the bar - a fantastic beer which was priced at just £4.20 - I hope it makes a return this year. Also, as the deadline for the magazine neared, Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild (6.0%) made an appearance - I’d like to drop in while that’s available too.

During the summer holidays, the pub hosted their popular real ale and music festival Selstock. Eleven ales from Lincoln Green, Nottingham, Peak Ales, Thornbridge and Theakston were on stillage alongside eight Ciders; accompanied by a weekend of live music. I was on holiday at the time but was assured it was a fantastic weekend - take a look at the photos on Facebook and see for yourself.

Music isn’t limited to Selstock - regular nights are held throughout the month and advertised on their Facebook page. A weekly beer draw is also held.

Should you fancy a bus ride out, the Mansfield to Ripley Trent-Barton 90 service passes the pub, though it terminates at Sutton-in-Ashfield bus station on a Saturday. Buses are roughly every hour so plan your times if you intend to visit - it’s well worth the effort.

---

Spring 2024 Urban PotS - Brown Cow, Mansfield

We presented our Spring 2024 Urban Pub of the Season award to The Brown Cow, Mansfield on July 14th, during our AGM, which they kindly agreed to host after our planned Prior’s Well venue closed.

Our chair, Karl, is pictured presenting the award to Kieran Lakin, accompanied by the Landlord Jonathan ‘Jono’ Taylor. Kieran is a supervisor and has worked there for 6 years, originally starting as a glass collector. He now does both cellar and bar work, and has ambitions to become a brewer.

It’s been a very busy season for the pub as April saw their first post-Covid beer festival, with CAMRA volunteers staffing an upstairs stillage where an extra 8 cask ales and 4 real ciders were served as part of the 25+ beers and 8 ciders on offer during the event.

 

Spring 2024 Rural PotS - Market Inn, Huthwaite

On Wednesday 17th July, the committee went along to present the award to the landlord Gary, who can be seen photographed with the branch chair Karl and manageress Kerry. Gary worked at the Pavilion for a while before looking for a pub of his own. He finally decided to take on the Market and has been the owner for two years.

Over time, Huthwaite has seen a decline in pub numbers from over ten to just two, with the recent closure of the Peacock Hotel over the road. It had been a real ale desert for years but The Market is now a place where a quality beer can be found seven days a week.

You’ll often find ales from Shiny, Ossett and more recently, Lenton Lane. Complimenting these are two changing craft ales as well as keg lagers and bitters. A range of small batch spirits are also kept.

Formerly a club, the pub features a front bar area complete with pool table and large screen TV. A smaller room is off to the right of the bar and a beer garden sits to the side.

Gary has further plans for the pub, hoping to eventually extend the number of hand pumps on the bar as well as improvements to both the interior and exterior. The future is bright for the Market Inn.