The 2024 Nottingham LocAle Pub of the Year award was presented to the Old Green Dragon, Oxton on Tuesday 3 September. The pub ensured that there was plenty of local beer and ciders available on the night and customers were treated to the following choices:
• Blue Monkey – Hop Air Baboon
• Lenton Lane – Escape
• Pentrich – Box of Tricks
• Beestonia – Pale Rider
• Sneinton Cider – Fifth Element
• Sneinton Cider – Number of the Beast
• Thirsty Farmer – Farmers Fear
So how did The Old Green Dragon win the award and what exactly is LocAle? LocAle is the campaign that Nottingham branch started as a result of the closure of Hardys & Hansons brewery in 2006. Pubs are accredited to the scheme as long as they offer at least one local beer or cider and the quality of the beer or cider is consistently good. For the beer to be deemed local it has to be brewed less than 20 miles from the pub and for cider a higher mileage is allowed.
Since 2006 the scheme has been adopted nationally and within the Nottingham CAMRA branch area there are now over 150 locAle accredited pubs. In every edition of ND a number of pubs feature and from this list pubs (chosen by the public) advance to the final. In July and August judges visited the pubs and awarded marks for quality of beers and ciders; range of beers and ciders, and the amount of promotion of locAle that was undertaken by the pub.
Previous winners of the award were The Old Green Dragon, Oxton (2023); Byrons Rest, Hucknall (2022); The Robin Hood (AND) Little John, Arnold (2021) The Miners Return, Kimberley (2020); The Star Inn, Beeston (2019); The Tap & Growler, Hilltop, Eastwood (2018); The Star, Beeston (2017); Horse & Jockey, Stapleford (2016); Lincolnshire Poacher (2015); Hand & Heart (2014); The Gate, Awsworth (2013) and The Flying Horse, Arnold (2012).
Congratulations therefore go to Marc & Cloe and the team, with special mention for Drew the cellarman, for becoming the 2024 Nottingham CAMRA LocAle pub of the Year. It should be noted that by winning the award this year the pub became the first ever to win the award two years running – will there be a hat-trick in 2025?
On being told that the pub had won, Cloe Brailsford, Landlady said, “The Old Green Dragon are thrilled to have won the locale award for a 2nd year running. We are very lucky to have such amazing breweries in Nottingham and we will continue supporting as many as we can.
Picture shows Paul Davies, Vice-chair, Nottingham CAMRA (far right) presenting the award to Cloe (centre), Mark and the team.
In keeping with the local theme visitors to the pub were treated to some rather fine Traditional Stilton and Shropshire Blue from the Colston Bassett dairy. Website www.colstonbassettdairy.com
Judges commended Byron’s Rest and the Cock & Hoop for their promoting of LocAle.
