The Prince of Wales pub, in Farnborough, has been presented with one of 32 CAMRA Golden Awards marking 50 years of the campaign.
The Prince of Wales team and Surrey Hants Borders CAMRA members celebrate the pub’s Golden Award. Photograph: CAMRA
The awards recognise people and pubs that have made a significant contribution to CAMRA’s aims. Nominations were made by CAMRA members and locals. More than 240 pubs were submitted, which were then whittled down to 32 awardees.
Surrey Hants Borders branch chairman, Ian Johnson, presented Prince of Wales owner Peter Moore and landlady Cheryl Hinde with a certificate in recognition of their achievement.
Ian said: “I am delighted to be honouring the Prince of Wales, Farnborough, today with a CAMRA Golden Award. 2021 is our 50th anniversary year, and we want to take this opportunity to celebrate the successes of the Prince as well as CAMRA’s achievements — we wouldn’t have got far without their support!
“This anniversary comes on the heels of an incredibly difficult time for the industry after a year of lockdowns and restrictions. I hope Peter, Cheryl, and all their staff will take this award as appreciation for all the hard work involved in running the pub, over the decades, and especially now.”
Previous owner of the Prince of Wales, John Medhurst, recalled: “In 1981, my company, Memory Inns, purchased this old rundown backstreet pub from Allied Breweries. We spent around £10,000 over 15 days refurbishing the Prince of Wales and installed a bank of six handpumps so we could serve real ale from regional breweries which were not available in the area at that time. And the rest is history.”
Peter Moore and his wife Julie have been running the Prince of Wales for nearly 40 years, first as manager in 1983 before buying the freehold from Memory Inns in 2002.
Peter said: “All of us at the Prince of Wales are absolutely delighted to have been awarded a CAMRA Gold
Award. My heartfelt thanks go to Cheryl and all my wonderful staff, and our fantastic customers for their loyalty and good humour on returning after lockdown.
“Thanks also to John Medhurst, who had the foresight to buy the pub back in the 80s and allow me the
opportunity to develop a community pub to which everyone in Farnborough is welcome.”
As a free house the pub has an enviable reputation with beer-lovers, both near and far. It is a cosy pub, with a central bar, around which are several distinct but interconnected areas. There’s a wonderful wood-burning stove between the snug and seating area.
First and foremost the pub is about real ale, which has resulted in it being ever-present in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide since 1983. There are usually five guest beers, including some dark and/or local beers alongside the five regulars, together with a box or two of real cider.
The annual beer festival in October is hugely popular, generally concentrating on beers from a particular area of the country.
The Prince was chosen for a Golden Award for its successes in standing the test of time; for being convivial, characterful, and community-focused, and, of course, for consistently pouring great pints.
