London Pub Wins Master Cellarman of the Year Award

A London pub has been honoured for its exceptionally high quality real ale, with the prestigious Master Cellarman of the Year award from London brewer and pub retailer Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC.

Run by Claire Morgan & Angus McKean, The Red Lion received the award after excelling in every area of quality control from cellar to glass, and impressing judges, including Fuller’s head brewer John Keeling and distinguished beer writer Pete Brown. The Red Lion is no stranger to the awards, having also won the title in 2007 and being runner up in 2008.

“It’s an amazing honour to receive this award, as it shows the appreciation of all the hard work that goes into creating a perfect pint” said Angus, who has been with Fuller’s since 2000.

“At The Red Lion we strive to reach, and even exceed perfection.”

“It’s a real team effort, so I’d like to thank everyone involved in keeping the cellar in great condition, especially Alex Smith, our assistant manager. It isn’t just about cellar standards, it is about maintaining high standards in every respect.”

During the rigorous quality checks, carried out by the Fuller’s Beer Quality Team, cellar hygiene and dispense equipment are thoroughly inspected, as well as samples of beer taken away for analysis, to ensure the customer is being given the best of the best.

“It’s such a pleasure to give this award to a person who lives and breathes cask ale,” said Fuller’s head brewer John Keeling, toasting all the finalists with a pint of London Pride.

“When you visit a Fuller’s pub which has been awarded Master Cellarman status you can be safe in the knowledge that the beer they serve is in the best possible condition; just as it is when it leaves the brewery gates. Even more incredibly, all eight of our finalists this year received top marks during the judging, showing how high the standard is.”

The Master Cellarman of the Year award recognises consistently outstanding cellar quality in Fuller’s pubs, with managers and tenants needing to sustain a score of at least 96% across four visits from Fuller’s Beer Quality Team throughout the year to be named as finalists for the grand title.

Fuller’s offers in-depth cellar training courses throughout the year to provide pub teams with the necessary skills to ensure the company’s high quality of service is delivered in each and every pub in the estate, as well as to on-trade national account customers.

To date, 222 Fuller’s pubs hold the Master Cellarman badge of distinction (13 more than in August 2012), which is displayed in all the certified pubs as a gong on top of the London Pride pump handle.

The second place Master Cellarman of the Year award went to Helen Wilson of The Mad Bishop & Bear, Paddington (Helen was also named Best Newcomer), whilst Rachel & Robert Burrows of The Pointer Inn, Isle of Wight, were named in third place, and also received the Pride and Passion award for absolute dedication to cask ale.

The five other Master Cellarman finalists were: Bele Zemelin from the Beehive, Englefield Green; Richard Sealtiel from the Surbiton Flyer; David Beale from the Garibaldi; Sue Hayden from the Admiral Nelson and Lisa Walker from the Queens Head, Chesham.