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Orchard Inn - CAMRA National Cider Pub Of The Year
Following winning CAMRA South West region Cider Pub of the Year, the Orchard Inn went on to the National finals of the competition and on 1 October 2009 was named as the CAMRA National Cider Pub of the Year. The Orchard Inn is a delightful, back-street pub, with up to 20 real ciders and perries available, plus four cask ales. The one-bar street-corner local is close to SS Great Britain and is a 10-minute stroll along the harbourside from the city centre. You can even arrive by ferry. Long known for its range and quality of real ciders, the pub has also been commended for its fine range of real ales. It serves food weekday lunchtimes and it has a reputation as a good community local.
Pictured (left) is Stuart Marshall receiving the regional award from Jean Cottee. Stuart Marshall took over the reins at the Orchard earlier this year and what was already a very good pub has now become nothing short of excellent for cider drinkers, and real ale fans have not been short changed either! One of Stuart’s first changes was to introduce a fourth hand pump, primarily for stronger, and preferably darker beers. He also has four ciders on the bar, but what came next was a real tonic for cider drinkers in Bristol.As host of the legendary ‘Cyder Sundays’, Stuart has now taken the idea further and stocks more ciders in the cellar – what a choice for the discerning cider drinker with potentially twenty ciders to sample! Some rarities have been seen such as the excellent Ashill, but Stuart regularly has Burrow Hill, Hecks (including the Perry), Wilkins, Crossmans and West Croft, to name a few of the selection.
With all-day opening, a revamped menu, good rolls and pies available to soak up the cider, and papers to read while you indulge in your favourite pastime, what more could you want? He also has concerts such as the amusing Somerset Paddies to lighten the mood and get into the cider-drinking spirit. To put it another way, it’s a cider festival all year round! |
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The Cider Pub Of The Year award is judged from
nominations received from branches or individual CAMRA members. The
criteria are the quality of cider, atmosphere, welcome, value for money and
how CAMRA friendly the pub is i.e. does it support CAMRA's aims. The
Orchard deservedly came out top from entries judged in the South West area
which included pubs in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, South Devon, North
Devon, Somerset, Bath & Bristol