AN ALVECHURCH watering hole has been named Pub of the Year by the Redditch and Bromsgrove branch of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA).
The Weighbridge has been praised for serving six real ales and ciders, alongside delicious home-cooked food available from Thursday to Monday.
The pub, at the Alvechurch Marina on the Worcester to Birmingham Canal, was originally an office to record the offloading of coal from narrowboats onto carts for local deliveries.
After many years of winning awards, it changed hands in 2021 when previous landlord John Humphries retired and handed the pub over to then cellar man Chris Lamb.
Chris in turn has continued its reputation of serving excellent real ales and hosting great community events – with the first of its regular bi-annual beer festivals from May 19 to 20.
On the award, Chris said there had been a lot of hard work to keep the venue running, praising his supporting staff including Caroline, James, Amy, Wendy and her kitchen team, alongside the boatyard team at Alvechurch Marina.
He was particularly grateful for all the support that he had received from his regulars, Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA and all the community groups that frequent the pub such as the Worcester to Birmingham and Droitwich Canals Society and the Aelfgythe Border Morris Team.
Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA branch chairman Paul Richards praised the pub for its friendly and welcoming staff alongside its variety of interesting local and regional real ales and its range of community events.
He added: “Local CAMRA members have recognised The Weighbridge for its great beer quality which was then judged against a set criteria with the top scorer taking the title.”
Alestones in Tardebigge came a very close second with the Rose and Crown in Feckenham finishing a credible third.
The Weighbridge now goes on to the Worcestershire round of the Pub of the Year competition alongside the Trumpet in Evesham, the Bear and Wolf in Kidderminster, and the Dragon in Worcester.
