CityLife

Briton's Protection out of Good Beer Guide 2009

Britons Protection

THERE are lots of pub guides in the shops these days but most of them seem to favour barn-like restraupubs where you can take your granny for Sunday lunch in some twee Cotswold village where they rethatched the roofs in 1973.

The Good Beer Guide 2009 is the only guide to buy, containing the best 4,500 pubs in Britain, divided into country/region/town/village.

The boozers have been chosen by the people who know them intimately who visit regularly to check on the quality of beer which is the most important factor although the Campaign for Real Ale is keen to preserve beautiful looking pubs such as the Marble Arch on Rochdale Road.

But let's face it, if the beer's good, the food is probably going to be good and the pub tends to be tidy. My granny would certainly love most of the pubs in the guide.

The biggest shock this year for me is the omission of the Briton's Protection in Manchester. I've been here regularly throughout the year and haven't noticed the beer quality flag. The bar staff didn't know the pub had been omitted when I went in. The pub has great character and a longstanding champion of real ale.

One of the disadvantages of the Camra system is that you can never find out why branches omit certain pubs unless you were at a branch meeting to choose pubs for the guide.

New Manchester pubs in the guide this year are the Ape and Apple, Paramount and the Unicorn, joining Bar Fringe, Castle Hotel (still 'Closed until further notice' according to the sign on the door), City Arms, Crown and Kettle, Dutton Hotel, Font Bar, Jolly Angler, Knott, Lass o’Gowrie, Marble Arch, Sandbar and Smithfields Hotel.

Lovely looking boozer

Wigan looks worth a visit (as if you need an excuse). New pubs in the guide this year are Anderton Arms, Boulevard, Brocket Arms, Crooke Hall Inn in Standish Lower Ground (which my great grand-dad once ran, I think), and the welcome return of the Swan and Railway, a lovely looking boozer which offers a rare chance to try a range of Banks' in this region. They join the Anvil, Berkeley and Bowling Green in the guide.

It's all happening in Wigan borough, with there new guide entrants in Leigh - with Boars Head, Bowling Green, and Thomas Burke joining the Waggon and Horses.

In Stockport, the new 'uns are Bakers Vaults, Olde Woolpack, Pack Horse and Pineapple. The old 'uns are Arden Arms, Armoury, Blossoms, Crown, Olde Vic, Railway, Thatched House and Three Shires.

Three new entrants in Bolton  - Doffcocker, Dog and Partridge and Hen and Chickens. Staying in from last year are Ainsworth Arms, Barristers Bar, Bob's Smithy Inn, Hope and Anchor, Lodge Bank Tavern, Spinning Mule and Sweet Greeen Tavern.

Oldham has the Ashton Arms and Royal Oak in the good book, Rochdale The Baum, Cemetery Hotel, Flying Horse Hotel, Merry Monk and Regal Moon and Salford the Crescent, King’s Arms, New Oxford, Racecourse Hotel (Lower Kersal), Star (Higher Broughton) and Union Tavern.

There are, of course, other Greater Manchester pubs in the guide. To find out about them - buy the book! It's £14.99 but also cheaper if you join Camra.