retiredmartin

OK, let’s start the annual review posts with pubs, it’s all you’re here for. I’ll cover “LIFE” next.

THE STATS

Five hundred and sixty (560) different pubs, though barely two hundred pubs new GBG entries. I will do a GBG spreadsheet post soon so the professional tickers can laugh at it.

With responsibilities to frail parents continuing to limit travel, I failed to make it back to Scotland again last year, and barely brushed noses with the red dragons, bar a night in Welshpool, which we all know is really English.

560 different pubs, one of them getting an unprecedented 16 visits.

I didn’t visit The Sun that often when I really lived in Waterbeach.

BEER QUALITY

You’ll know I’m irrepressibly positive, and some have doubted my take on this as a golden age for beer.

You are a generous scorer…

— Sir Quinno Says Bass 🔺️ (@SirQuinno) December 31, 2024

but this is a golden age for beer. I only scored 10 out of 600 pints an NBSS 2, and only took one (1) pint back.

In contrast, here’s a trio of NBSS 5’s, from revisits to Stoke Lyne,

Oldham,

and Baldock.

Any of the Peyton Arms, Fox & Pine or Orange Tree would have made a worthy award winner. But instead;

PUB OF THE YEAR – CUTLERS ARMS, ROTHERHAM

“If there’s anything in life better than watching folk come in and go out of the Cutler’s I’ve yet to discover it“ I wrote in February, and in truth I can’t think of a better place to take a foreign visitor looking to experience the English pub.

I could have picked the Black Horse for that honour,

but Preston can’t be denied.

BEST/WORST PUB CRAWL – PRESTON (JANUARY)

I cannot lie. This was a sensational night out, ranging from Old Tom to Serbian Orange wine to Chain House’s astonishing murk.

Until Mrs RM woke me up at 3am and started ranting about her hangover being my fault, when actually it was Blackpool Jane’s fault as she’d done the exact same crawl the night before. This was the year Jane put aside east Lancs prejudice and embraced Proud Preston. Jane was wonderful beer and curry company this year.

BEER OF THE YEAR – TWO BY TWO PALE

Chris Dyson just rated Two by Two his brewery of the year, and their murky, hazy Pale has become as ubiquitous in GBG pubs round here as Landlord is down south.

So, to the final award, the one the winner will dine off for years.

PUB MAN OF THE YEAR

Let’s recap the previous winners

2018 – Paul Mudge

2019 – Joan Southworth

2020 – “Curry” Charles

2021 – Will “Sheffield Hatter”

2022 – James Taylor

2023 – Leon Foster

Well, 2024 sees a second American name engraved onto the trophy.

For services to supporting Northern micros, the UK vodka and orange industry,

but mainly for being such great company, Barb Southworth of Chicago is our 2024 Pub Man of the Year.