Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Hull & East Yorkshire Branch NEWS RELEASE

Family Partnership is Chosen for Seasonal Award

Issued 8th October 2007

Steve and Sue Martine together with Darren and Rachelle Maynard, joint owners of The Plough Inn in Hollym, have received a recognition award for "Continuing Commitment to Quality Real Ale".

The seasonal 'Pub Mirror Awards' are currently being used to recognise those licensees in the Hull and East Yorkshire area who have demonstrated a "Continuing Commitment to Quality Real Ale" at a time when they are under great pressure to remove distinctive, tasty real ale and replace it with 'easily kept' heavily advertised, bland tasting nitro-keg beers. The award therefore, also acknowledges those licensees who practise the specialised art of cellermanship. This is because real ale requires expertise to prepare and maintain it in good condition whereas nitro-keg beer only requires connecting to a mixed-gas cylinder before selling.

The family (Rachelle is Steve and Sues daughter) purchased the pub in July 2005 after moving north from London. Steve was previously a teacher; Sue was a Learning Support Assistant; Darren was a HGV Driver in Australia; and Rachelle was an agronomist in Australia. Steve and Sue had gained valuable experience by working as voluntarily bar managers at their local cricket club (Stanford le Hope, Essex) for 4 years.

Tetley Bitter and two changing guest beers are available at the pub. Steve and Darren do most of the cellar work and have both attended a BII training course in Cellar Management. They held their first mini beer festival during the summer and it proved so successful that it will be repeated next year.

The 'Autumn 2007' award was presented to Darren and Rachelle Maynard by CAMRA Branch Chairman, Alan Canvess on Saturday 6th October during a Good Beer Guide survey crawl of pubs in the area. A large gathering of regulars and CAMRA members attended, including Paul Ashton, who nominated the family for the award, stating: "When they took over the pub they could have just concentrated on heavily advertised, easily-kept products but they didn't and now the locals and visitors alike are enjoying an interesting and changing selection of guest beers, kept in excellent condition and served in lined glasses – ensuring that you get a full pint."