The West Riding at Dewsbury Train station wins two CAMRA awards
The West Riding was presented with not one but two CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) awards for the Heavy Woollen branch – Pub of the Year and Cider Pub of the Year.
He said: “It was already an honour to be awarded Pub of the Year, but we didn’t actually know we were getting Cider Pub of the Year until the presentation, so it was a double celebration!
“It’s really a testament to our hard-working staff, our loyal customers, and the CAMRA members who voted for us.
"We’ve got to give a big shout out to our cellar manager, Jim Ibeson, who is responsible for curating the selection of beers on offer and looking after them, so they’re always served in top condition.”
Winning at branch level is the first step in the annual POTY awards. Having won the two Heavy Woollen branch awards, The West Riding proceeds to regional judging for both.
Stage 3 is super-regional, creating 16 finalists, then these will be reduced to 4 for final judging in late 2026. The national winner will be announced in January 2027.
Heavy Woollen is so-called due to the area’s heritage in textiles and covers the northern Kirklees area that includes Dewsbury, Mirfield, Batley, and Heckmondwike.
Does the West Riding deserve this honour? You can judge for yourself very soon at their forthcoming beer festival – West Rock Music and Ale Festival over Spring Bank holiday 22-24 May.
There will be over 30 beers on the line-up over 3 days as well as 8 rock bands performing live on Platform 3, the pub’s outdoor stage. The festival is free entry all weekend.
The West Riding was created in 1994 by Mike Field in the disused waiting rooms at Dewsbury Train Station. It has consistently appeared in the Good Beer Guide since 1996 and is run by Beerhouses, who operates five real ale pubs in West Yorkshire and Stalybridge.