March 7, 2019 11.31 am This story is over 60 months old

Lincoln pub wins national award for best cask ale

The judges were won over by this pub’s ale
Miss Anna at the pub and receiving her award from comedian Ed Byrne at a gala ceremony

A Lincoln pub faced little struggle in the race to be named the best for cask ale in national awards.

The Strugglers Inn on Westgate in Lincoln beat off competition from 2,700 pubs around the country to achieve the accolade, awarded by Heineken-owned Star Pubs & Bars.

The pub’s cask ale was judged against stringent criteria from its taste, smell and temperature to staff knowledge and came out on top in every area.

With 10 cask ales on hand pull and seven changing regularly, the judges described The Strugglers as a “cask ale shrine”.

Anna behind the bar at The Strugglers

The judges put the win down to the passion and hard work of The Struggler’s licensee, Miss Anna, who recently celebrated her 10th anniversary at the pub’s helm.

Miss Anna and her staff were commended for going out of their way to educate customers about their beers and helping them find their ideal pint with their ‘try before you buy’ policy.

She received the prestigious prize at a gala ceremony at The Belfry resort in Sutton Coldfield from comedian Ed Byrne.

She said: “It’s amazing to have won. We try to make The Strugglers Inn like a non-stop cask ale festival and it’s fantastic to be recognised for something we love doing so much. Cask ale needs lots of TLC as well as a good throughput to keep it in peak condition – so this award wouldn’t have been possible without a fantastic team of staff and our loyal regulars.”