It was a sweltering day on Saturday 8th August when Kevin Allin, landlord of The Carpenters Arms, was presented with Stroud CAMRA’s Cider Pub of the Year award for 2020.
This was the first presentation we had organised under COVID-19 protocols, so everything was different. For a start, there was no seating inside the pub, traffic-light entry control and a one-way system. The car park had been gravelled to provide additional outdoor space to supplement the patio to the front, and there was a marquee to the side in case of rain.
Despite all this—and the oppressive heat—business was brisk and everyone, whether or not they were real cider drinkers, rejoiced in the pub’s success. There was a round of applause when landlord Kevin Allin showed off the certificate to his regulars sitting outside.
And Kevin did us proud on the cider front. The pub’s usual offerings from Westons and Thatchers were supplemented by eight bag-in-box real ciders from Dunkertons, Rich’s, Severn Cider and Taunton—all self-served directly from the box.
Many thanks to Bill Hicks for taking the photograph.