Wrexham Pub at ‘The Heart of The Community’ Wins Prestigious Award

A Wrexham pub at the ‘heart of the local community’ has won a prestigious award.

This years’ Chester & South Clwyd Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Branch Pub of the Year has been won by the Colliers Arms in Chapel Street, Ponciau.

The spotless, community local stands along a narrow street of terraced housing in an area where several pubs have sadly been lost over recent years.

However in a time of so many pub closures, the Colliers Arms has rapidly gained a reputation for the quality of its ales and features in the current edition of CAMRA’s best-selling Good Beer Guide.

The award doesn’t just acknowledge the quality of the beer served by the pub as it was also assessed against a number of other national CAMRA criteria which highlight its broader appeal.

The judges were particularly impressed with the enthusiasm shown by the young licensees to put the pub at the heart of the community, and with their dedication to introducing local drinkers to real ales in an area where our national drink has not traditionally been widely sold.

Branch spokesman, John Silloth, in paying tribute, enthused: “This is richly deserved. I’m so pleased for Geraint and Esme. Fabulous beer aside, a lot of hard work has gone into the place over the years and with so many of these back street locals closing down it’s brilliant to see the Colliers doing so well. If only every pub could be a freehouse!”

Landlord Geraint Hughes commented on behalf of the pub: “Absolutely chuffed to bits to win such a fantastic award. Thanks to all our quality suppliers and, of course, customers!”

High scoring runners-up were the Ponsonby Arms in Llangollen and the Bridge End Inn in Ruabon. The latter is a previous National Pub of the Year winner and just failed this time to claim a sixth win in seven years!