Category: CAMRA

Strugglers Inn is still Lincoln CAMRA’s top pub

The Lincoln Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has chosen Lincoln’s Strugglers Inn as their top pub for the second successive year. This is a notable achievement, given that long-term landlady, Anna, retired last year and Emma Blacklock has taken over.

The Lincoln Branch area covers a large part of the county which includes Market Rasen, Woodhall Spa and Leadenham, as well as Lincoln itself. It contains over 200 pubs.

The Pub of the Year competition was divided into two categories, with CAMRA members voting for their favourite city pub and their favourite from the rest of the Branch area. Five judges then visited the top three city and top three country pubs to assess the quality of the beer, the atmosphere, the service and community focus.

Standing in the shadow of Lincoln Castle, the Strugglers Inn is popular with locals and visitors alike. The walls of the two rooms are festooned with old photographs and the ceilings are covered with pump clips. The sunken garden is a sun trap. The numerous guest beers offer a range of styles and strengths, and local brews always feature.

One of the judges described the Strugglers as, “Very near perfect. A great range of ale and staff with the knowledge and enthusiasm to promote it.”

Lincoln CAMRA chairman, Aaron Joyce, said, “It’s a real tribute to Emma and the staff that the change of management has happened so seamlessly.”

The runner-up in the overall Pub of the Year competition is Lincoln’s Joiners Arms, and the Country Pub of the Year is the Dambusters Inn at Scampton. The other pubs in the final were Lincoln’s Tiny Tavern, the Anglers in Saxilby and the Butcher & Beast in Heighington.

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.

Budget 2022

Ask your MP to help pubs and brewers keep the lights on this winter

Since last year, CAMRA has been warning the Government of this crisis – with costs for businesses spiraling and a point when consumers are facing their own cost-of-living pressures, and many can’t afford to visit the pub as often.  

We now have a new Prime Minister and Chancellor, and a Budget coming up. It’s vital a new support package for the licensed trade is announced, but we don’t have much time to act.  

Strugglers Inn is Lincoln CAMRA’s top pub

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.

Lincoln Beer Festival 2021 – At Your Local

In normal circumstances, this would be the week that local members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) prepared for the Lincoln Beer Festival. And, at the weekend, they would be serving over 100 real ales from independent breweries across the country to thousands of thirsty customers.

Of course, for the second year running, the event cannot go ahead. However, the difference this year is that pubs are now open and serving cask ales. So we are encouraging as many members and non-members as possible to visit our great local pubs over the bank holiday weekend to discover the range of real ales on offer.

We will be compiling a list of the real ales and real ciders that will be available over the weekend and where to find them. We’ll be interested to see whether the number of different ales matches what would have been available at the Festival.

Aaron Joyce, chairman of Lincoln CAMRA, said, “What makes the British pub unique is delicious, fresh cask beer. It’s a drink you can only enjoy in the pub – or at a beer festival. However, millions of drinkers across the UK have not been able to enjoy it for much of the last twelve months. So now pubs have reopened, I’d like to encourage everyone to get down to their local pub for a fresh cask beer, preferably from a local brewery. You’ll not only get a great-tasting beer but you’ll be supporting local independent breweries and our struggling pub-industry.”

Lincoln Beer Festival 2021 – at-your-local-beers

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