You’ll see two things mentioned about the Old Cross Tavern:

• We’re a regular entrant in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide
• We were awarded CAMRA Silver 2024–25

They are not the same thing.

And they’re judged differently.

The Good Beer Guide

The CAMRA Good Beer Guide is about beer quality.

Full stop.

You don’t apply.
You don’t pay.
You don’t sponsor your way in.

Local CAMRA members visit pubs throughout the year and submit scores based purely on how well the cask ale is kept.

It’s about:

• Consistency
• Cellar standards
• Temperature
• Condition
• Turnover
• No tired barrels
• No shortcuts

You can be in the Guide for years and never win an award.

You can win awards and not be in the Guide.

They’re separate processes.

Being in the Guide means the beer is right. Regularly. Not occasionally.

CAMRA Silver 2024–25

The Silver award is different.

That’s a regional vote.

You’re competing against other pubs in your area.
Who’s in your region matters.
Strength of competition matters.

It’s not just about one pint.
It’s about overall performance across the year.

You can be in the Good Beer Guide and never win a medal.
You can win a medal in one year and not the next.

That’s just how regional judging works.

Cask ale isn’t easy.

It needs:

• Proper rotation
• Proper line cleaning
• Monitoring
• Throughput
• Staff who know what they’re doing

We run 8 rotating cask ales.

There’s usually something dark on.
There’s usually something lower ABV.
There’s often something stronger for the weekend.

And it’s all kept properly.

Awards are nice.

But the real measure is the pint you’re holding.

“You can also read what customers say about us here” →https://oldcrosstavern.com/reviews/