Following in the footsteps of well known local hostelries as The Ironmarket, Newcastle The Plough, Bignall End and the Malt n' Hops, Fenton. CAMRA Potteries Branch is pleased to announce that our Pub of the Year award for 1999 goes to Dave and Kay Washbrook of the Blue Bell, Kidsgrove, writes Rob Shanks.

This, added to the Pub of the Month gong already picked up in April mark a fantastic turnaround for an establishment which, less than 2 years ago had been shut for a considerable time. Following closure by previous owners Whitbread in 1986 the fabric of the building started to deteriorate and many thought that this former Good Beer Guide local would never open again,

However on the 7th April 1998 all this changed, together with the reputation of Kidsgrove as a desert for beer choice, when the Blue Bell swung open its doors again. As long standing CAMRA members Dave and Kay were already known to many as passionate members of the real ale cause, and thankfully this has not changed with regard to the running of this excellent establishment.

Dave's philosophy is not to sell beers which he would not drink himself. Of course the 'Bell' is a proper Free House and this has enabled him to offer what amounts to a 'Beer Tickers' paradise. At the same time the interior has been restored to its former traditional glory in line with Dave & Kay's idea of what a pub should be. This has made the pub a magnet for a good cross section of beer lovers from not only Kidsgrove, but also the rest of the North Staffs & South Cheshire area.

The interior comprises a bar with drinking space, plus two partitioned areas off, one of which is non-smoking. Also at the rear is another room which acts, both as a meeting room for groups and an overspill area on busy weekends. Straight in front of you as you enter is a Blackboard containing a list of all the available products, together with gravity and price. The cask ales are obviously a huge consideration to CAMRA members and the Blue Bell excels here. The house beer is Thwaites Bitter (3.6% abv) of Blackburn, and up to five other constantly changing Real Ales. Ask any of the regulars what their favorites are and you can bet Whim Hartington Bitter (4%) and Hanby Cascade Bitter (4.5%) come near the top of the list - and these are just two of the hundreds of ales, mainly from local independent craft brewers, offered in the last 18 months

Considering the size of the establishment the choice is excellent (unless of course you are a died in the wool keg/smoothflow/lager drinker!) Other palates are catered for in terms of strength and taste. Farmhouse ciders and perries from artisan producers such as Dunkerton’s, Weston's etc. Foreign beers are listed on a menu, offering over 20 Belgian beers which reflect the wide variety of beer styles on offer in that country, plus 'proper' lagers from Schneider and Erdinger of Germany - all served in their own glass.

If you are one of the more unimaginative drinkers amongst us then this is not for you - There is no juke box, pool table or fruit machine. However to the more civilized amongst us this is not a problem! Drinking outside, at the front on a summer night by the Trent & Mersey canal, is one of life's unsung pleasures. To the side and rear of the pub the Macclesfield canal built by Telford in 1831 snakes around to a viaduct. This means the community of Hardingswood is surrounded by water on four sides and the Blue Bell has been dubbed the "pub on the island".

The Blue Bell is also in the new edition of the Good Beer Guide marking it as one of the top pubs in the area, now to complete a successful turnaround, it can claim to be the best. Other pubs wondering how to boost their flagging trade would do well to take note - offer civilized surroundings and a decent product and good custom will follow.

Dave and Kay were presented with the Pub of the Year Shield during the recent 19^th Stoke Beer Festival by Branch President Barry Underwood. CAMRA (Potteries Branch) will be holding a joint social with South Cheshire Branch on Saturday 30^th October at the Blue Bell commencing 8 pm. Why not give it a try - you will made very welcome.

ARTICLES IN ISSUE 89

Front Page 25th Potteries Branch Aniversary Potteries Pub Preservation Group Pints of View

19th Stoke Beer Festival Pictures Real Ale in a Bottle Belgium in a Bottle Titanic News Pub News And Much More...

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