18th November 2008
The Bell Inn Adderbury celebrates being one of the top cask ale pubs in the country
A Hook Norton pub narrowly missed out on receiving the top accolade at The Publican Food & Drink Awards. John and Trisha Bellinger of the Bell Inn at Adderbury, were finalists in the Cask Ale Pub of the Year category, but were pipped at the post by Andrew and Lynn Grant of the Hare and Hounds in Bury, Greater Manchester.
The awards celebrates the best and most professional pub operators, with outstanding pubs, pub companies, licensees and staff rewarded for their remarkable achievements in pub retailing. Caroline Nodder, editor of The Publican, said: "The finalists are all pubs and publicans to be proud of, and there has never been a better time for the trade to celebrate that."
John and Trisha have been running the Bell, a Hook Norton pub, for over three years. After running several pubs in the 1980’s John returned to the trade to take over the Bell in Adderbury, described by the judges as a cosy village pub, where he could live his dream of serving great cask beer. The couple have already won a Beautiful Beer Gold Award and Cask Marque and their pub was voted the best in North Oxfordshire by CAMRA. Four cask ales are always on offer with seasonal and guest beers regularly changing to satisfy a variety of tastes.
John himself looks after a pristine cellar with his bar staff being trained in cask ale awareness to Cask Marque standards and tested on their product knowledge, before being presented with framed certificates once they pass.
The Bell does a lot to promote cask ale and has it’s own Cask Ale Drinker’s Club (CADs Club), where members can enjoy weekly discounts and earn points towards their own engraved Hook Norton Brewery glass tankard. A cask ale menu above the bar includes John’s unique ‘Cocked Ales’, a fun mixture of beers that help extend the range and creates lots of interest.
John said: “Being a finalist in the Cask Ale Pub of the Year category of this prestigious national award has been absolutely fantastic when you realise that the other finalists are all town or city centre pubs with a capability to attract a lot more cask ale drinkers. “
When asked what was the secret to being one of the top cask ale pubs in the country, John tunefully explained, “It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it, that’s what gets results!” John and Trisha intend to celebrate their successes of the past year, with customers and staff, by hosting a special party night at the Bell on Saturday 22nd November.
