Two good to choose between

April is time for Keighley and Craven CAMRA to go POTY (Pub of the Year) and this year we couldn‘t choose between the top two, so called it a dead heat and picked both: The Kings Arms on Bolton Road in Silsden and The Brown Cow on Cross Leeds Street in Keighley. Well done to Francis Huggins and Lisa Keeley (Kings Arms - top right) and Barry Smith and Carol Taylor-Smith (Brown Cow - bottom right).

Every year all the pubs in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide in the Keighley and Craven branch area, from Settle to Sandbeds, are judged by branch members on more than just beer quality (but that is a significant element). The other criteria are: Atmosphere/style/décor, service and welcome, community focus, sympathy with CAMRA aims (in keeping with CAMRA policies and supporting campaigns) and “good value”. Both the Kings Arms and the Brown Cow tick boxes by hosting meetings of local community groups, serving real cider, being members of CAMRA‘s LocAle scheme, and most of all, the beer is consistently of good quality. After 2 rounds of voting, 22 pubs were whittled down to 2 joint winners to be awarded branch Pub of the Year 2014.

Both the Kings Arms and the Brown Cow have won the branch award separately in the past, with the Brown Cow being runner up in the regional competition in 2008. They have been in the Good Beer Guide for many years under their current licensees and have collected numerous branch Pub of the Season awards: the Brown Cow is the current holder and the Kings Arms won most recently in Summer 2013. (Follow the links for more information about what makes both pubs tick!) Congratulations to all involved in both pubs.