CAMRA Kernow has announced its winter ‘Pub of the Season’ at the same time as revealing its shortlist for 2024 Cornwall Pub of the Year.

In September the Cornwall branch of the Campaign for Real Ale, CAMRA Kernow, named its first Pub of the Season winner.

Now it has named The Hole in the Wall in Bodmin as the winner for winter, after coming out top in a vote at the recent CAMRA Kernow branch meeting, ahead of five other nominees.

The nominated pubs were judged on:

  • Quality of real ale/cider
  • Style/décor/furnishings/cleanliness
  • Service/welcome/offering
  • Community focus and atmosphere
  • Alignment with CAMRA principles

CAMRA Kernow said: “The Hole in the Wall is a deserving winner as, unlike a lot of other pubs, it has not changed and consistently serves a broad range of very well kept and reasonably priced real ales.

“The staff are welcoming and the pub raises funds for many good causes. It makes an ideal pub to cosy up around the lovely fire at this time of year, but is also a good pub for real ale throughout the year.

“It has great, friendly atmosphere and well deserves this award.”

The Hole in the Wall will be presented with its award at the end of the month.

Falmouth Packet: The Hole in the Wall has been named winter Pub of the Season by CAMRA KernowThe Hole in the Wall has been named winter Pub of the Season by CAMRA Kernow (Image: Google Street View)

It now becomes the third and final pub in the running for the overall Cornwall CAMRA Pub of the Year award.

The shortlist has now been confirmed, putting The Hole in the Wall alongside the Driftwood Spars at St Agnes and The Blisland Inn, Bodmin.

CAMRA Kernow said: “Our panel of judges are out and about busily assessing the three finalists; all great pubs and any one of them would make a worthy winner.

“Whichever pub is declared the best will progress further in CAMRA’s competition for National Pub of the Year.”

The Cornish finalists are being judges on:

  • Quality and condition of real ale/cider
  • Promotion and knowledge of real ale/cider
  • Cleanliness and staff hygiene
  • Community Focus
  • Service and welcome
  • Style, décor and atmosphere
  • Sympathy with CAMRA’s aims
  • Overall impression and value

CAMRA Kernow hopes to declare the winner in late March.

Real Ale is defined by CAMRA as beer served in traditional fashion, i.e. with no extraneous CO2 in contact with the beer to pressurise it or to drive it into the glass. The ale will also not have been filtered, pasteurised, or otherwise had natural live yeast removed before point of sale.