12:10pm Saturday 7th April 2012
By Greg Fountain
A Falmouth bar was toasting its success this week after being named one of the top four real ale pubs in the UK.
The ‘Front, on Custom House Quay, was selected as one of the four finalists in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) National Pub of the Year Competition 2011.
The nomination followed a string of successes for the bar, which was named both the Cornish and South West regional pub of the year by CAMRA last year.
It battled it out with pubs from Bedfordshire and Lancashire for the national title, but narrowly missed out on the top spot to the Bridge End Inn in Ruabon, near Wrexham.
Matt Reay, general manager at ‘Front, is still elated by the news, however.
He said: “We’re just really chuffed to bits. I’m proud of all the staff for working really hard and the dedication that everyone has put in.
“We have really, really nice people who drink here as well and all credit to them for their support.
“It was just an absolute and complete surprise from the local level up. As we got to each stage it got more and more unbelievable,” he added.
Ian Packham, CAMRA south west regional director, said the team had done really well to get so far, considering it was the first year they had won the CAMRA Kernow pub of the year.
He said: “I think it shows what can be done in a pub if people put in the effort and the thought.
“Good pubs don’t have to be long-established Victorian drinking dens – it’s about the personality of the people and the quality of the beer that they serve.
“As far as I’m concerned it’s a well deserved award and Matt here has done an incredible job,” he added.
At the presentation event, last week, an award was also handed out to the Driftwood Spars brewery in St Agnes, whose beer “Alfie’s Revenge” was crowned the Supreme Champion Winter Beer of Britain 2012 by a panel of judges at the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester earlier this year.
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