WHY CAMRA MEMBERS SCORE BEERS

CAMRA members across the country visit pubs and taste the beer - WHY?

CAMRA branches analyse beer quality information compiled from thousands of beer scores submitted by CAMRA members (both local branch and visitors) over the course of the year to rank the pubs according to the quality of their real ale.

The result of this analysis is used to:

	To monitor the Quality of Real Ale being served in pubs
	To help branches select pubs for inclusion in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide (GBG)
	To help branches select pubs for the Pub of the Year shortlist and other local awards
	To help branches select pubs that qualify for LocAle accreditation

How do I score the quality of a beer I am drinking??

You have to judge how well the beer has been kept by its smell, taste and appearance and rate it using the table that follows. Marks are on a scale of 0 to 5 (including 1/2 marks if you can't decide between two)

0 No cask ale available Not stocked or run-out

0.5 Undrinkable So poor you have to take it back or can't finish it. "Revolting"; "Off"

1 Poor Beer that is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable with considerable resentment. "Unpleasant"; "Inferior"

2 Average Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn't inspire in any way, not worth moving to another pub but you drink the beer without really noticing. "Mediocre"; "Run of the mill"

3 Good Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to another pub. You may want to stay for another pint. "Enjoyable"; "Nice"

4 Excellent Excellent beer in excellent condition. You stay put! "First-class"; "Great"

5 Perfect Probably the best you are ever likely to find it. A seasoned drinker will award this score very rarely. "Superlative"; "Stunning"

CAMRA has produced a handy, business-card-size reference which can easily be carried with you, see Beer Scoring Card

How do I submit my scores?

You can submit scores either via CAMRA's online pub guide WhatPub or via CAMRA GBG Web App. . To do this you will need:

• Your CAMRA membership no. and password
• Location and name of the pub
• Date of your visit
• A score out of 5
• Name of the beer (optional)
• Further instructions can be found here, Beer scoring instructions

Our branch collates and reviews scores regularly through the year
Early the following year we hold open Selection Meetings, which review each pub meeting our minimum beer score criteria
This results in a short list of pubs recommended for the next GBG

We always need more scores to make this process work better and to give us more confidence in the statistics. The area North Cheshire CAMRA covers is huge with many rural pubs and there will always be deserving pubs that we struggle to get to or overlook, and whose regulars do not submit scores. If you have ever wondered why a pub is not in GBG, then it may well be because CAMRA members have not entered scores - by scoring a pub you can make a difference!

If you are not a CAMRA member but would like your opinions of beer quality in pubs to count, then join CAMRA at http://www.camra.org.uk/join

Good Beer Guide awards for leading local pubs

Recently both the Ferry Tavern, Penketh (2023 GBG)
and Tavern, Warrington (2024 GBG)

celebrated a stupendous 25 years in the guide

With the 2024 GBG, it was also the turn of Helter Skelter, Frodsham
to chalk up 15 unbroken years and
the Brewery Tap, Lymm to celebrate 10 years

North Cheshire CAMRA covers an area which takes in around 180 cask ale pubs and clubs, but due to space constraints has only 18 entries in the GBG, so only about one in ten ever qualify. Getting in one year is not easy, but 10 years on the run is truly amazing whilst 25 years is out of sight. We salute the single-minded dedication to cask ale shown by all of these much-decorated pubs, the results of a lot of hard work and commitment over the years.