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

Real Ale Fan is Chosen for Seasonal Award

Issued 13th December 2006

Ian Pollard, tenant of the Durham Ox in Beverley, has been chosen to receive 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.

Ian was born in Cottingham and gained valuable experience whilst working at the Railway in the village as assistant manager. After being out of the trade for a little while he decided to return and looked for a good community local to run. After rejecting a few he decided to take the lease on the Durham Ox (owned by Enterprise Inns) and took over on the 16th August 2005.

Ian has recently gained the ‘Cask Marque’ accreditation and a ‘Beautiful Beer – Gold Award’ from the British Beer & Pub Association. He is a great fan of real ale and enjoys it himself when he gets the opportunity to do so. He has also managed to convert quite a few former nitro-keg (smooth) drinkers on to it by proving that good quality real ale is a much tastier alternative.

Tetley Bitter and John Smith’s Bitter are the two regular beers that are available and there are always two guest beers – normally from small Yorkshire brewers, through SIBA (Small Independent Brewers Association). The pub’s opening hours are 10.30 -11 everyday.

The ‘Winter 2007’ award will be presented to Ian Pollard by CAMRA Branch Chairman, Alan Canvess this Saturday, 16th December 2006 at around 6.30 pm. A large gathering of CAMRA members are expected to attend during their ‘seasonal pub-crawl in the town. Amongst them will be John Heckford, CAMRA’s Pubs Officer for East Yorkshire, who nominated Ian for the award, stating: “The beer choice and temperature has also improved since Ian’s arrival.