A Sidmouth pub, the Anchor on Old Fore Street, has beaten off stiff competition from over 1100 pubs around the country to be named Best Cask Ale pub in national awards run by Heineken owned Star Pubs & Bars.
The pub's cask ale was judged against stringent criteria from its taste, smell and temperature to staff knowledge and found to be 'spot on' in every area. "It's a real ale gem which serves a cracking pint every time," enthuses Chris Jowsey, Star Pubs & Bars' trading director, "The range, quality and presentation of the beers are superb, and it's great to receive such enthusiastic, knowledgeable service from staff."
Licensees Trevor and Denise Fudge and their son Matt received the coveted prize at a gala awards night in London from football legend and broadcaster Chris Kamara. The award is a double achievement for the family who are celebrating a decade at the Anchor this month.
A former builder, Trevor had always dreamed of having a pub and when the Anchor became available decided to take the plunge. The Fudges wasted no time in reversing the pub's fortunes putting in hard work, a £160k refurbishment and a commitment to high standards to restore the Anchor to its former glory as an outstanding traditional pub.
Trevor's passion for cask ale has put it centre stage at the Anchor with a choice of four cask ales on offer at any time and miniature tasting glasses for those who want to try before they buy. A third of the pub's beer sales are now cask and Trevor says he's gaining converts all the time with an increasing number of women opting for it.
The judges were impressed by the Fudges' meticulous care and attention to their ales noting how staff training, daily cellar cleaning, annual replacement of glasses and regular investment in new glass washers help ensure the Anchor always serves the perfect pint of cask.
Says Trevor, "This is a great honour and a real accolade to our brilliant staff without whom this award would not have been possible. We've worked incredibly hard at getting our cask ale just right and this makes all our efforts worthwhile."
The Fudges say they will not be resting on their laurels and are already planning the Anchor's first beer festival for May 2015.
