Hole in the Wall pub, Bodmin pub of the year award withdrawn by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) after a complaint about an item on display.

CAMRA Kernow announced The Hole in Wall in Bodmin as its ‘Pub of the Year’ as the best pub in Cornwall for 2024 last week.

But this morning CAMRA issued a statement saying the award had been withdrawn following a complaint from a member of the public.

It says the member of the public complained about an item in the pub which CAMRA said how now been removed but contravened nationally agreed policies for the award.

According to landlord Steve Hall, the complaint related to a Swastika armband on display in the pub since a soldier brought it back from the war.

He said he'd removed it now but it had been there longer than he had an no-one had ever complained before.

CAMRA did not say what the item was but said in the light of the withdrawal there would be no Cornwall Pub of the Year Award this year. 

They said the item was not spotted by their volunteers during judging.

“CAMRA’s National Campaigns and Communications Committee has taken the decision to withdraw the Cornwall Branch Pub of the Year award for 2024 to the Hole in the Wall," it said in the statement. "In the light of this there will now be no Cornwall Pub of the Year Award made for 2024.

"This follows a complaint relating to an item on display. The item has now been removed by the pub owner, but it did contravene nationally agreed CAMRA policies.

"On this occasion, CAMRA volunteers did not spot the item at the point of judging. However, national policy states no pub or club should be considered for an award if it displays signs or objects that could be offensive to consumers due to their discriminatory nature."

At the time the announcement 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.”

As the winner of the Winter seasonal pub of the year it went up against the Driftwood Spars at St Agnes and The Blisland Inn, Bodmin, as Summer and Autumn winners respectively. Both those pubs have now lost out.