Robin Hood hits a double of top pub awards

The Robin Hood at Altofts picked up a clutch of pub awards, while Bier Huis, of Ossett, scooped the top cider prize.

Last Wednesday The Robin Hood picked up the Wakefield Campaign for Real Ale’s pub of the year and autumn pub of the season awards.

The Church Road pub was taken over by the four-strong team of Rob Turton, Andrew Page, Chris Cable, Hayley Lumb last year. They won the top accolade after only 11 months in charge.

Mr Turton said: “Chris and I are proud of what we have created, which is a brilliant community pub. But it isn’t down to us, the customers and the staff have supported what we have tried to achieve. We now look forward to the future with our micro brewery and a wood fired pizza oven.”

A few days later Wakefield CAMRA handed over its cider pub of the year award to Bier Huis proprietor Dave Jones.

The Towngate business has a vast array of draught and bottled ciders from the UK and beyond.

Mr Jones said: “We have always done draught cider to take away since we opened and since we’ve had the on-licence it’s as popular as ever. I try and put a lot of effort into finding ciders which aren’t out and about up here.”

Favourites include Pure North cider, from Holmfirth, and Tutts Clump, from Berkshire. There are 36 different ciders currently in stock, including ones from Spain and the USA.

Wakefield CAMRA chairman Albert Bradbury, who presented the pub and cider awards, praised both Bier Huis and The Robin Hood. He said: “Wakefield is a good place to drink beer and cider. There are now more and more places offering a good choice.”