A RURAL pub in mid Ceredigion has been named the best in the county.

Members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have selected the Rhos yr Hafod in Cross Inn (Llanon) as the Bae Ceredigion CAMRA pub of the year 2023.

A special presentation of the award to publicans Angharad Hywel and Paul Jacobs will be held in the pub at 6pm on Friday 10 March and everyone is invited along.

Local CAMRA members nominate pubs for this award and then judges visit the shortlisted pubs anonymously to evaluate each one against CAMRA’s pub of the year criteria. The quality of the real ale is the most important single factor, but judges also look at how well beer is promoted, the role a pub plays in its local community, the atmosphere, décor and welcome.

“This is the third time that the Rhos yr Hafod has won the Bae Ceredigion CAMRA pub of the award which is an outstanding achievement for a small pub in a very rural location,” said Bae Ceredigion Chair Mary Galliers. “The award recognises the commitment that publicans Angharad Hywel and Paul Jacobs put into running the pub and the consistently excellent quality of real ale on offer. Judges particularly praised the support that the pub gives to and receives from its local community, and they stated that the Rhos yr Hafod a true community asset that is welcoming to all.”

The range of real ale at the Rhos yr Hafod is constantly changing but the two hand pumps usually offer beer from Welsh breweries. Angharad is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the real ale on offer and a jaunty display of pump clips adorns the bar to promote the barrels waiting in the cellar. The pub has several drinking areas including a lively front bar, a quieter back bar to relax in, a function room, a large rear garden and a sunny front terrace.

The Rhos yr Hafod hosts regular board games nights, quizzes, open mic nights, folk music and a summer beer and music festival. It is also the base for a monthly community café which is run by local residents.

The runner-up the Ship and Castle in Aberystwyth, which won the award in 2022, and the other finalist was the Bottle & Barrel also in Aberystwyth.

The Ship and Castle offers a wide range of cask ale from many different British breweries, some of which are never available elsewhere locally, an interesting choice of quality keg beer and draught Welsh cider. The “five pump platter” allows drinkers to sample a third pint measure of each of the five cask ales, one of which is normally a dark style. This comfortable pub has a choice of seating areas and regulars mingle happily with visitors. The pub hosts live music and a weekly folk music session, and is a popular and friendly spot to watch Wales’s rugby matches.

The Bottle & Barrel offers an ever-changing choice of quality keg beers and a couple of cask ales, many of which are produced in Wales. The range features different and unusual beer styles and these are clearly promoted on a screen behind the bar. The friendly and knowledgeable bar staff will chat through the different styles and offer tasters, and a beer flight lets you order four smaller measures of the keg and cask beers. The onsite bottle and can shop sells a huge range of beer and cider to drink on the premises or takeaway, and you can buy take-outs of draught beer. The décor is contemporary with a choice of seating from armchairs to high stools, and a small rear courtyard. Regular events include “meet the brewer”, “tap takeovers” and themed food nights when local businesses supply the food.

“The Rhos yr Hafod will now go up against the winning pubs from Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire in the competition for CAMRA West Wales pub of the year,” said Mary. “The Ship and Castle won this award last year and so we are keeping our fingers crossed for another winner for Bae Ceredigion this year.”