The Lincoln Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has chosen Lincoln’s Strugglers Inn as their Pub of the Year for 2022.
The competition was divided into two categories, with CAMRA members voting for their favourite city pub and their favourite from the villages in the Branch area. Four judges then visited the top five pubs to assess the quality of the beer, the atmosphere, service and community focus.
Standing in the shadow of Lincoln Castle, the Strugglers Inn is big on character and conversation, and a warm welcome from the staff is assured. The ceilings of the main bar and snug are adorned with pumpclips of beers that have appeared on the bar. There is regular live music on Sunday teatimes. The sunken garden is a hidden gem that came into its own during the Covid restrictions.
This is the latest in a string of awards won by the pub since Anna took over as landlady in 2008. Anna is due to retire at the end of April.
Lincoln CAMRA chairman, Aaron Joyce, said, “The Struggs is a classic community local. And with ten handpumps on the bar, it’s a magnet for real-ale drinkers from near and far. This award is a fitting tribute to all of Anna’s hard work, as she prepares to step away from the pub.”
The Lincoln CAMRA Country Pub of the Year is the Dambusters Inn in Scampton. The other pubs in the final were Lincoln’s Joiners Arms and Tiny Tavern, and the Ripon Arms in Nocton.
The Strugglers Inn now goes forward to the Lincolnshire round of the competition, where it will be up against the winners from the Gainsborough, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Louth, Grantham and Fenland CAMRA Branches.