Cider pub is apple of judge’s eye in regional competition

The Hop & Vine, which sources its ciders and perries from small producers across the country, will now represent the region in a bid to hold onto the title of National Cider Pub of the Year, an accolade it currently shares with the Prince of Wales in Foxfield, Cumbria.

The pub on Albion Street provides a choice of regularly changing ciders and perries, as well as Moorlands Farm Cider, from North Newbald, in East Yorkshire, its only permanent draft cider or real ale.

The pub was nominated by members of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) and judged by Yorkshire regional cider co-ordinator David Litten.

He said: “This is a worthy reward to the licensees of the Hop & Vine, who champion small producers from far and wide. This is confirmed by the fact that they have sold over 203 different ciders/ perries from over 73 producers since opening in 2006.”

Stewart Campbell who has been running the pub with co-owner Janet Rowan for nearly five years, said: “I think people now want quality for their money.

“If you are a bit short you want to drink something that’s nice and well produced and not made out of Chinese apple syrup, which is what most of the commercial ciders are made of.

“One of the good things about the rise in bottled ciders is that people realise there’s better stuff out there and there’s now a demand for real cider – and we try to fill that spot.”

The Rat & Ratchet in Huddersfield and the Rutland Arms in Sheffield were joint runners-up.