PUB-GOERS across St Helens can decide on which are the best real ale venues in the town.

Eight local establishments have been shortlisted for St Helens CAMRA Pub of the Year award and six local clubs have been shortlisted for Club of the Year.

Now it’s down to real ale drinkers to come out and vote for who they think deserves the accolades for 2023.

Pub of the Year shortlist

Those shortlisted for Pub of the Year are: The Bard (Prescot)

The Beer EnGin (Whiston)

Cricketers Arms (St Helens Town Centre)

The George (St Helens Town Centre)

Skew Bridge Alehouse (Rainhill)

The Star Inn (Rainford)

Turks Head (St Helens Town Centre)

The Watch Maker (Prescot)

Club of the Year shortlist

Those shortlisted for Club of the Year are: 

Haydock Reading Room

Prescot Cables Football Club

Prescot Reform Club

Rainford Labour Club

Rainhill Recreation Club

West Park RUFC.

The St Helens & Districts CAMRA Pub of the Year and Club of the Year can be voted for by all CAMRA members registered with the branch.

How the shortlisting process works

The pubs that made the cut were shortlisted based on ‘WhatPub’ scoring - which is carried out by any CAMRA member visiting pubs during the year.

Out of the 70 pubs listed by St Helens CAMRA, the eight shortlisted are those with the best accumulated scores throughout the year – where people visiting those pubs have scored the beer they are drinking.

Any club that meets the criteria set out by CAMRA nationally, can be included in the Club of the Year competition.

Thriving real ale scene - but pubs need support

Ian Pye, pubs officer for St Helens and District CAMRA, said: “The voting for Pub of the Year and Club of the Year is open to all St Helens and Districts CAMRA members and I’d encourage anyone who is a member to get out there and vote.

“The only way a pub can win this award is if people who drink there score the beers regularly on ‘WhatPub’ and then take part in the final scoring for Pub of the Year visiting and scoring each pub on the shortlist.

“St Helens and the surrounding districts has a thriving real ale scene and it’s vital that we keep supporting our pubs as they struggle with the pressures post-covid and the cost of living.

“Given the last few difficult years for the pub industry, it’s vital that people get out there and support our pubs and clubs to make sure they continue being a focus in the community for years to come.”

How the scoring works

The scoring forms are available to download online, or available at any of the shortlisted pubs or clubs.

All venues need to be scored to make them eligible for consideration for Pub of the Year and Club of the Year.

Once all venues have been visited and scored, for the Pub of the Year competition, people can drop their form into the box provided at the final pub they visit. 

Alternatively, they can return it via email (poty@sthelenscamra.org.uk) or hand in in person at the committee meeting on March 8.

Club of the Year forms are to be emailed or handed in in person at the committee meeting.

CAMRA members are asked to visit each pub on the shortlist and score it out of 10 for eight areas:

• quality and condition of real ale

• Promotion and knowledge of real ale

• Cleanliness and staff hygiene

• Service, welcome and offering

• Style, décor and furnishings

• Community focus and atmosphere

• Sympathy with CAMRA’s aims

• Overall impression and value

The quality of ale score is weighted so that it counts as 'double'.

These are then all counted and compiled to decide the Pub of the Year and Club of the Year for St Helens and Districts CAMRA area.

This is also the first step in the shortlisting process that ultimately leads to CAMRA National Pub of the Year selection.