Micropub named Peterborough Pub of the Year by CAMRA

The 2019 recipient, decided in a vote counted on New Year’s Eve, is The Frothblowers, a micropub in Storrington Way, Werrington.

And it took over the mantle from Peterborough city centre micropub The Bumble Inn in Westgate.

The accolade caps a meteoric rise for the venue which was opened a little under two years ago by John Lawrence and Steve Williams. It has already competed on a national level for the Cider Pub of the Year award and was last year’s CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year in the city.

One of a handful of pubs awarded a Gold Award in the last 12 months, The Frothblowers pipped The Yard of Ale in Woodston, Draper’s Arms in the city centre and last year’s winner The Bumble Inn to lift the title in a vote cast by the CAMRA branch members.

John, also landlord of the nearby Blue Bell in Werrington Green, said: “It is always nice to get awards and to be recognised like this by CAMRA members, but the best thing is that our customers keep voting with their feet and business keeps getting better and better. There is always a full house on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.”

And the reason for the popularity?

“We keep things simple,” said John. It is not about size, it is all about quality.

“We don’t try to be all things to all people - there is no music, no bright lights, no fruit machines or televisions showing sport. But we make sure we have things going on that get people talking.

“We also feel that we haven’t taken business away from other pubs - we have attracted people that had given up going to pubs, that have started coming out again.

“We always have five real ale hand pulls on, and five waiting, so potentially that is 10 ales available.

“We started out with six real ciders, but the success we have had, has meant we get contacted by all kinds of weird and wonderful brewers and never have less than 20 ciders on.”