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

Owners of 'Café Style' Bar are Chosen for Seasonal Award

Issued 28th January 2005

Steve and Sam Shaw, owners of 'Pave' in Hull have been chosen to receive the Winter 2005 'Pub Mirror Award' for "Continuing Commitment to Quality Real Ale".

The seasonal 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.

Steve and Sam offer customers a choice of three real ales with Theakston Best Bitter and XB available regularly alongside a changing guest beer from Rooster's Brewery (Knaresborough). The quality of the real is maintained with the help of their cellerman, Joe Healey. His hard work has ensured that the pub will be considered for entry in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide 2006.

Steve is one of three licensees at the pub that share the responsibility that the position brings and the long working hours, George Etheridge and Tony Corbett being the other two. The pub has enthusiastic and friendly staff that are always happy to give you advice on the overall beer selection, which also includes a number of Belgian bottled beers.

Pave is situated towards the Spring Bank end of Princes Avenue. Steve and Sam took on the lease after spending a year at The Lamp (off Beverley Road) and opened their new business in February 2002. Steve has gained much of his experience through working at various hotels.

The pubs opening hours are: Monday to Saturday 11-11 and Sunday 12-10.30.

The award will be presented to Steve and Sam by CAMRA Branch Chairman, Alan Canvess tomorrow evening (Saturday 29th) at around 7.00 p.m. A large gathering of the pub's regular customers and around 25 active CAMRA members are expected to attend the presentation.

Alan Canvess said "Many owners of café style bars don't see real ale as a necessary part of their product list. However, Steve and Sam have shown that quality real ale brings its own rewards."