All CAMRA members can now vote for their Macclesfield and East Cheshire Branch Pub of the Year for 2012.
The four nominations are: Egerton Arms, Chelford; Poachers Inn, Bollington; Treacle Tap, Macclesfield; and Waters Green Tavern, Macclesfield.
Visit the voting website for more information on the pubs and the headings under which they should be judged - beer, staff, pub and community experiences.  You'll need your membership number and password (postcode if not changed by you) to log in to the website. Then visit all four pubs and rank in order one to four before returning to the website to vote.
The picture is of last year's winner, The Dolphin Macclesfield.
Closing date for voting 19th February.

All CAMRA members can now go online to nominate their favourite beers for entry into the North West Champion Beer of Britain competition. The winners from this area competition will go forward to the national Champion Beer of Britain competition at the Great British Beer Festival in August.  To make your nominations click here.  Note that to enter the site you will need your membership number and password (your postcode unless you’ve changed it). Closing date for nominations is 29th February.

The Waters Green Tavern, Macclesfield received the Branch award of Winter Pub of the Season at a well attended social evening on 27th December 2011. The award was presented to Brian and Tracy by Branch Chairman Rob Nicholson who reminded us that despite all the new and improved outlets for real ale in Macclesfield that have opened in recent years the Waters Green continued to stand out for the quality and variety of the beer served.  On these winter nights the friendly staff and real fire guarantee a warm welcome. 

It’s been a good few months for two of East Cheshire’s newer breweries. Firstly in August the Bollington Brewing Company gained the bronze award in the ‘Best Bitter’ category at the prestigious Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) at Earl’s Court for its ‘Bollington Best’ bitter. This followed on from the same beer being voted ‘Champion Beer of Cheshire’ in 2009.

Secondly RedWillow brewery of Macclesfield also gained a bronze award, this for their 'Smokeless' in the new brewery category at the Peterborough Beer Festival later in August. The festival is probably second only to the GBBF in terms of status. That success was followed in October by its 'Wreckless' being voted ‘Champion Beer of Cheshire 2011’ swiftly followed later that month by it gaining a gold award in the 'Premium Bitter' category at the SIBA Great Northern Beer Festival in Manchester.

Congratulations go to the two young brewers responsible, Lee Wainwright at Bollington and Toby McKenzie at RedWillow. We are privileged to have such talented and enthusiastic brewers in our midst.