The annual Pub of the Year (“PotY”) award is probably the most well known CAMRA pub accolade. The award progresses through 4 levels; from branch area, to county, to regional and finally to national. We take this selection rather seriously, as there are nearly 200 pubs in North Hertfordshire serving real ale the competition is high. You can search the Pub? for information on any of our pubs, the database is maintained by CAMRA volunteers – if you spot anything that is incorrect or out of date!

Current Pub of the Year – 2018

• Pub of the Year: Red Lion, Preston

There is a list showing the history of North Hertfordshire PotY winners at the bottom of this page.

We also choose a North Herts Cider & Perry PotY, and for 2018 that is the Garden City Brewery, Letchworth Garden City.

Summary of selection criteria

Obviously, the most important factor is that the pub serves consistently good beer. It is therefore, the norm that our branch selects its POTY from among the shortlist of Good Beer Guide entries.  So it is rather important that members submit beer scores.

Obviously, the most important factor is that the pub serves consistently good beer. It is therefore, the norm that our branch selects its POTY from among the shortlist of Good Beer Guide entries. Again, members’ beer scores count.

For a pub to be awarded POTY status, it needs to go beyond just serving good beer. A POTY pub also has to be welcoming to all customers, not only to particular sections of society. Naturally, it needs to be sympathetic to CAMRA aims and campaigns. They will know and communicate with the local branch, and be happy to publicise their activities. The POTY must also be a place that is pleasant for anyone to visit, including things such as the decor, the state of the toilets, the general ambience, etc. Value for money is also a factor, this doesn’t only the beer is cheap , but whether the overall experience has been worth the effort and cost of going there.

Selection process

The POTY contenders are selected at the February branch meeting following the Good Beer Guide selection, and a list is circulated to branch members (along with selection guidelines and a voting form). Members are encouraged to visit as many of the POTY shortlisted pubs as possible, and are invited to submit votes for each pub, based on the criteria mentioned above. Votes can be submitted via mail or e-mail or directly by attending the March branch meeting. At the March branch meeting, the votes are counted, and a winner is declared. Should there be a tie at the end of the process a show of hands would determine the winner.

Beyond the branch

Our North Herts branch winner progresses to the Hertfordshire county round of voting, to compete against the branch winners from South Herts, Herts-Essex Borders and Watford & District. As above, when the branch winners are known a list of them is sent to members (with guidelines and a voting form). At this level, and above, members are required to visit and submit votes for all contenders if they wish for their votes to count. Members are also encouraged to visit the pubs as often as possible, so that votes can be based on a variety of inspections. However, to ensure that members can see them all and so qualify to vote, we run a minibus trip around all of the county POTY candidates. Votes have to be submitted either to our branch Pubs Officer or directly to the Herts county co-ordinator, usually by the middle of May.

The Hertfordshire county winner goes forward into the East Anglia regional round, which must be decided by the middle of August.

The East Anglia winner then advances into the National round.

Historic North Hertfordshire “Pub of the Year” Winners

The full history of North Hertfordshire PotY winners, note of course that the relevance of the award lessens the longer ago it was. Pubs change hands, change management, and sadly also sometimes close for good. That said, most of the pubs that have won in the last decade are still under the same management.

Year	Pub, Location	Notes
2017	Red Lion, Preston
2016	Half Moon, Hitchin	Hertfordshire PotY 2016
2015	Orange Tree, Baldock	Hertfordshire PotY 2015
2014	Half Moon, Hitchin
2013	Orange Tree, Baldock
2012	Red Lion, Preston	Under different management than 2005 win.
2011	Half Moon, Hitchin
2010	Half Moon, Hitchin
2009	Half Moon, Hitchin	Hertfordshire PotY 2009
2008	Our Mutual Friend, Stevenage
2007	Our Mutual Friend, Stevenage
2006	Our Mutual Friend, Stevenage
2005	Red Lion, Preston	Hertfordshire PotY 2005
2004	The Strathmore Arms, St. Paul’s Walden
2003	Maiden’s Head, Whitwell                  Closed
2002	The Lordship Arms, Benington
2001	Red Lion, Preston
2000	Red Lion, Preston
1999	The Lordship Arms, Benington
1998	The Rising Sun, Hall’s Green
1997	The Lordship Arms, Benington
1996	Maiden’s Head, Whitwell                  Closed
1995	The Tilbury, Datchworth
1994	The Cricketers, Ickleford
1993	The Plough, Datchworth
1992	The Lytton Arms, Old Knebworth
1991	The Crown, Buntingford
1990	The Windmill, Charlton       Currently closed, future uncertain @ Jul 2016.
1989	The Two Diamonds, Stevenage	Now called “Old Town Bar”.
1988	The Fox and Hounds, Barley
1987	The Star, Furneux Pelham	Closed
1986	Maiden’s Head, Whitwell                  Closed
1985	The Rest and Welcome, Haultwick	Closed
1984	The Fox, Aspenden
1983	The Red Lion, Stevenage
1982	The George IV, Baldock
1981	The Cricketers, Ickleford
1980	The Plough, Ley Green
1979	The Windmill, Charlton      Currently closed, future uncertain @ Jul 2016.
1978	The Cabinet, Reed	Closed