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W-ale done!

A county pub has the best beer in Britain - It's official!

by Aisling McVeigh (aisling.mcveigh@gloscitizen.co.uk)

A DURSLEY pub has been picked out of thousands of ale houses up and down the land as having the best beer in the country.

The Old Spot Inn has been named the Real Ale Pub of the Year in the annual Morning Advertiser Pub Industry Awards, for its ale and. atmosphere.

And manager Steve Herbert is thrilled with the pub's success. He said: "We can't believe it. These awards are like the Oscars of the pub industry and we have come top. It is such a fantastic achievement to be judged like this by your peers."

Mr Herbert has been manager of the pub for two years and it is owned by Rick and El Sainty.

Mr Herbert said: "I am particularly pleased for Rick and El, as the pub has been runner-up in this competition a number of times but has never won. It was a case of always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

"But that has changed now, and I could not be prouder."

The judges awarded the pub for serving the best pint of traditional cask ale in Britain.

Judge Liz Guilmant, from suppliers The Beer Seller, said: "Caring for, and serving cask ales is a special skill and winning this premier award is an outstanding honour for the landlord of The Old Spot."

Mr Herbert said he thought the pub's character will also have swung the competition in favour of them.

He said: "We have no background music, no pool table, no juke box, and no game machines. Just real ale and real conversation, which is what I think gives a pub its real atmosphere.

"We have zero tolerance for bad language and bad behaviour and this award will be as good for Dursley as it will be for the pub. People think that there is not much going on here but now we have an award-winning pub, we may attract more visitors.

"The recognition we have received through this award is great but we have always had the support of our locals and that has been the most important thing to us all along."

The perfect opportunity to try some of those award-winning ales will be at The Old Spot Inn's beer festival, which is taking place over Valentine's weekend, February 14-16.

CAPTION: It's S BEER-ILLIANT" Steve Herbert and his wife Belinda, hosts of The Old Spot in Dursley.
Picture: Robert Davis

Reproduced courtesy of Citizen - August 2006.