For the first time ever, a Stroud pub has been declared Gloucestershire Cider Pub of the Year by CAMRA.
The Carpenters Arms in Westrip had already been named Stroud Cider Pub of the Year 2023 by CAMRA's Stroud branch, taking the title from The Crown in Minchinhampton, with the popular pub going on to be named Gloucestershire Cider Pub of the Year on Saturday 13 May 2023.
It is the first time a Stroud venue has gone on to win the title for the county, beating stiff competition from the likes of The Salutation Inn in Ham, The Pelican Inn in Gloucester and The Dog House in Coleford — no small feat for a pub which was nearly knocked down and redeveloped into housing.
Owner and licensee, Samantha Mckie, bought the pub in 2019, rescuing it from closure and transforming it into a thriving business at the heart of the community.
She said: 'Here at the Carpenters Arms, we are delighted to sell local real ciders. Our love of local ciders has not been dampened by the harsh landscape of owning a small village pub. We can’t wait for the summer of 2023 and being judged for South West Cider Pub of the Year.
'Since buying the pub in late 2019, a few months before the Covid lockdown, we have not been disheartened and have loved buying Gloucestershire real cider and encouraging local people to support local free house pubs.'
The Carpenters Arms is open Tuesday to Sunday on Redhouse Lane in Westrip just outside Stroud and boasts magnificent views over the Stroud Valley, as well as an impressive selection of local ciders to try.
