A pub landlady has shared her delight over winning a prestigious regional industry award.

Charmaine Kerr, who manages the Blue Bell in Annan, shared the news that the pub has won, for the fourth time in a row, the Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) pub of the year award for 2023, for the Dumfrieshire area.

The pub has also won the cider pub of the year award 2023, for the Dumfries and Stewartry area.

CAMRA is a member-supported organisation that advocates for real ale to be stocked in independent pubs.

Members who pay into it can buy drinks for a discounted price and have a chance to vote for their favourite pub in such awards when they are held.

Speaking on her reaction to winning the awards, Charmaine said: “I’m absolutely delighted.

“This will be the fourth time we’ve won it.

“We also brew our own beer and we had that on offer, so it’s nice to be noticed on that too.”

Blue Bell’s ‘little’ brewery is called Wotte and Bailey, and their beer can be enjoyed in-house.

There’s nothing out of the ordinary at Blue Bell, as Charmaine explained: “It’s a traditional, old-fashioned bar, we just do drinks.”

Such is the charm of Blue Bell, and to that, Charmaine said on what contributed to their continued success: “We just look after the bar well, keep our pipes clean, and we have a good range – just what we do, we do well.”

Blue Bell will soon host their cider festival on May 28 and hopes to stock local ciders, but also ciders from a wide geographical range, all the way from Somerset to the north of Scotland, Charmaine said.

The festival will be accompanied by live music, and a similar scene will take place at their subsequent beer festival, from August 27 to 28, which will feature a wide range of offerings.

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