The National Beer Scoring Scheme in Keighley and Craven
Have you ever wondered how CAMRA members select pubs for the CAMRA Good Beer Guide? The National Beer Scoring Scheme (NBSS) is a 0-5 point scale for judging beer quality in pubs. It is an easy to use system that has been designed to assist CAMRA branches in selecting pubs for the Good Beer Guide and also monitor beer quality by encouraging CAMRA members from any part of the world to report beer quality on any pub in the UK.
If you are a CAMRA member, we want you to tell us about the quality of real ale in the pubs you visit.
What do the scores mean?
- 0 Undrinkable. No cask ale available or so poor you have to take it back or can't finish it.
- 1 Poor. Beer that is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable with considerable resentment.
- 2 Average. Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn‘t inspire in any way, not worth moving to another pub but you drink the beer without really noticing.
- 3 Good. Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to the next pub. You want to stay for another pint and may seek out the beer again. Good enough for the Good Beer Guide.
- 4 Very Good. Excellent beer in excellent condition.
- 5 Perfect. Probably the best you are ever likely to find. A seasoned drinker will award this score very rarely.
What do I need to record?
- Your name and membership no.
- The date you visited the pub
- The Name of the Pub
- Where the pub is located
- A score out of 5
- The name of the beer (optional)
How do I take part?
The easiest way is to submit your scores online. You will need your CAMRA membership number and password.
Keighley & Craven CAMRA members: for pubs in our branch you can do this via the K & C NBSS Score option, or from the NBSS scores option in the members’ area. This is our preference as they are easier for us to process if entered via this site. Members without internet access may still hand scores to the branch Pubs Officer or NBSS co-ordinator, who may enter them into the on-line system.
Alternatively you may enter scores by visiting the National Beer Scoring section of CAMRA‘s WhatPub web-site - you need to be logged-in as a CAMRA member for the option to appear.
How often do I complete a card or submit an entry?
This is down to personal preference. You may choose to score per beer (a separate score for each named beer) or per visit (averaging your score for each pub visit). In the latter case, the beer name can be left blank.
How is the information being collated and used in Keighley and Craven?
In February, when we are selecting our pubs for the Good Beer Guide, the NBSS card scores for each pub help determine if the pub will go into the guide.
How is the information collated in other branches?
Branch GBG Co-ordinators can download beer scores submitted for their area via WhatPub. It is up to individual branches as to how they make use of the scores they receive.
(Adapted from the NBSS National CAMRA web-site page.)