The Black Swan named Community Pub of the Year

The Black Swan Pub in Rixton with Glazebrook, Warrington, has been awarded the North Cheshire Community Pub of the Year 2012 by the North Cheshire branch of CAMRA one of the five Cheshire branches of the voluntary organisation: Campaign for Real Ale.

Idyllically situated opposite the village church, and coming complete with its very own duck pond (with resident ducks) and a large play area for children, it’s easy to see why The Black Swan is at the very heart of village life.

Stuart Wraith, who took over at the Black Swan just four months ago, is thrilled that the pub’s efforts within the community have been formally recognised by the award.

He said: “The pub is so ideally positioned for being a social and community hub - fulfilling that role is a real privilege for us and is always a focus when introducing new ideas.

As well as developing a new food menu, regular events and activities include a weekly pub quiz and a monthly farmers market. This summer, the pub also held a successful family fun day for local residents, and a week-long Beer Festival. As a big advocate of Real Ale, Stuart always has 4 cask ales on the bar, which are regularly rotated. Indeed, if you frequent The Black Swan regularly, you could have sampled over 120 varieties of Ale so far since he took over in April!

“Of course there have been challenges” says Stuart “for example; we are in the process of building some new bedrooms along with a much bigger kitchen for the venue. But this makes receiving this award even more satisfying – it’s a real testament to how great the team is here.”

Ray Head, Secretary for CAMRA North Cheshire, believes the award is well deserved. He said: “This award recognizes pubs that are fulfilling an important and proactive service to their community, and just as importantly serve damn good beer! It’s a brilliant achievement which Stuart and the Black Swan team should be proud of. The pub is a real community asset.”

Stuart officially received the award on behalf of the pub at the Northwich Beer Festival.

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Posted: Wednesday 26th September 2012
ID: 9955 - 820