Pub of the Year: Kirkstile Inn, Loweswater
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Last year the Kirkstile came second to the Bitter End in our vote for Pub of the Year; this year they have come first.

The Kirkstile also won the Branch Pub of the Season award last summer (see previous article in WhatAles). Proprietors Roger and Helen Humphreys have owned the pub for less than three years, and for novices to the pub trade to earn the accolade of Pub of the Year in such a short space of time is an astounding achievement.

The Kirkstile has always been one of the gems of the Western Lake District, but had declined over the past few years until the Humphreys came on the scene. Roger is overjoyed at the recognition of his enthusiasm for real ale, and his determination to showcase the best of Cumbrian beers, and his attention to detail in every aspect of the Kirkstile Inn.

There have been one or two changes since we featured the pub in last summer’s What Ales? Most notably Roger has bought the old brew plant from the Queen’s Head, Tirril, and he and barman Matt Webster have undergone some intensive brewing training. Their first beer will be ready for drinking later this summer. Roger and Matt, who hails from Sunderland and used to work in the photographic industry, will concentrate on perfecting one recipe to start with. Brewing will probably take place once a week, and beer will only be produced for the pub. However Roger says he will not be selling his own beer to the exclusion of those from other Cumbrian breweries: after some experimentation the pub’s beer range has settled at Jennings Bitter, Coniston Bluebird, Yates Bitter and Tirril Old Faithful. There may be occasional guests from other Cumbrian breweries such as Hawkshead.

Roger has a new head chef and second chef, Lee Pattinson and Sean Peck. The menu still consists of home-cooked dishes but now diners can choose from the same menu in the hotel dining room as in the bar. Although the Kirkstile is justly popular for its food, Roger and his staff are keen to welcome their drinking customers. Other improvements include conversion of the games room in the small barn into a sitting/dining area with solid wood tables and chairs; and the ‘Melbreak Fox’ (caught in 1882 at Lanthwaite Green by the Melbreak hunt) is back on show.

The West Cumbria branch of CAMRA made a formal presentation of the award on Saturday 28th June.

The Kirkstile now goes through to compete with the best pubs in the other three Cumbrian branches (the Corby Bridge Inn, near Carlisle; the Watermill, Ings; and the Manor, Broughton in Furness). The winner will then go head to head with the Lancashire winner to become the regional pub of the Year and onto the national competition.