POTY about pubs

The Freshfield

Southport and West Lancs Branch of CAMRA covers North Merseyside and West Lancs, and so has two awards for pub of the year (POTY for short).

The 2013 POTY for the Merseyside part of the Branch is the Freshfield in Massams Lane, Formby. This pub has had a good selection of beers for many years, but there were concerns in late 2011 and early 2012 that it would be converted to a Hungry Horse eating house with little or no emphasis on real ale. Fortunately, such worries have proved unfounded, and the Freshfield reopened last July with an even greater range of real ales than previously. The Freshfield is less than ten minutes' walk from Freshfield Station on the Northern Line.

The Hop Vine

The West Lancs POTY for 2013 is the Hop Vine, Liverpool Road North, Burscough. This pub sells changing guest beers as well as the products of the Burscough Brewing Company which operates in outhouses behind the pub. It is less than five minutes' walk from Burscough Bridge railway station. The Hop Vine will be holding its 4th annual Spring Beer Festival from 24 to 27 May.

Both these pubs are well worth a visit, and both are known for doing food as well.