CAMRA North HertsCampaign for Real Ale - Real Ale, Real Pubs, Real People

The great and the good gathered at the Orange Tree, Baldock on Friday evening 28th August for the presentation of no less than six CAMRA awards!

First up were two presentations to Apple Cottage Cider, our local cider producer, who won both the 2015 Hertfordshire Cider and Perry competitions which were held at the spectacularly successful Hitchin Beer & Cider Festival back in June. A panel of seven judges from the Hertfordshire branches of CAMRA undertook a blind tasting of ciders and perries from four Hertfordshire producers – Apple Cottage, Herts Cyder, Millwhites and Sopwell Cider.

Unfortunately Apple Cottage proprietors Gayle and Paul were not able to be present and so Tara Geere gracefully accepted the awards, from Gill Richardson, Branch Chair, on their behalf.

That wasn’t all – The East Anglian Region of CAMRA holds annual Cider & Perry competitions and, this year, Apple Cottage won two awards. Chris Rouse, CAMRA’s East Anglian Cider Coordinator, was pleased to present Tara with the winner’s certificate for the 2015 East Anglian Bottled Perry Competition and the runner up certificate for the 2015 East Anglian Bottled Cider Competition. Four award in all for Apple Cottage!

Following on with the cider theme, Rob Scahill was very happy to receive the 2015 CAMRA Hertfordshire Cider Pub of the Year award, again presented by Gill.

Rob has ‘done the double’ though having also won the 2015 CAMRA Hertfordshire Cider Pub of the Year award despite tough competition from the Crooked Billet, Ware and the Sportsman, Croxley Green. So, the sixth award saw Gill presenting the Pub of the Year certificate to Rob.

After the presentations we were able to sample no less than 13 real ales and 12 real ciders and perries. A fun evening was had by all.

Congratulations to Apple Cottage and the Orange Tree!