THE Druid Inn in Goginan, near Aberystwyth, has been chosen as the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Wales pub of the year, making it one of the top 16 pubs in Great Britain.

Earlier this year, the pub was selected as the Bae Ceredigion CAMRA pub of the year.

Then, during the summer, it triumphed over pubs from Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire to win the West Wales stage of the competition.

It then went up against the winners from north Wales and south Wales (the Mold Ale House in Mold, Flintshire and the New Inn in Bwlch, near Brecon respectively) before being declared CAMRA’s Wales pub of the year.

Bae Ceredigion CAMRA chairman Tristan Robinson, said: “This award is testament to the hard work of landlord Lewis Johnson and his team who offer a warm and friendly welcome to everyone visiting the Druid.

They are all passionate and knowledgeable about real ale and cider and are always happy to offer advice and tasters to customers from the wide range of handpumps that adorn the bar.”

Pubs are nominated for the pub of the year awards by local CAMRA members, some of whom then visit each one anonymously to evaluate them against set criteria. The quality of the beer and real cider is the most important single factor in judging a pub for a CAMRA award. Other criteria are the role a pub plays in its local community, value for money, atmosphere, décor and customer service.

Judges praised the interesting range of beer, on draught and in bottles, as well as cider in the Druid.

See the full story in this week’s south edition