A RANDWICK landlord is raising a toast after his pub was named in the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Good Beer Guide for the first time.

The Vine Tree in Randwick, has been featured in the pub group’s annual guide, used by beer lovers to discover the best hostelries up and down the country.

Three other Stroud pubs - The Crown at Minchinhampton, The George Inn, Nailsworth, and Stroud Brewery Tap in Thrupp - have been included for the first time too.

To celebrate the news, Stroud CAMRA held a launch event for the 2021 edition of the ‘beer lovers’ bible’ at the Vine Tree on Saturday.

Richard Terry, landlord of The Crown at Minchinhampton, took a couple of hours away from working at his own very busy pub to celebrate the launch in Randwick and congratulate its landlord Lajos Mayer and the Vine Tree team.

The Vine Tree’s entry in the new book includes a description of the pub and what it offers, and goes on to say: “Lajos, the Hungarian landlord, had never run a business before, let alone a pub. He fell in love with the Vine Tree when it was offered for lease.

“Lajos has thrown his heart and soul into the pub and the local community.

"The pub is a centre for the village football, cricket, table tennis and darts teams. Local bikers use the pub several times a week and it is a mecca for walkers.

“Lajos is the only chef and the menu includes Hungarian dishes such as goulash. His chips recently scored a resounding 9.5 on the Willoughby Chip Scale.”

There are a total of nine pubs from the Stroud CAMRA jurisdiction (postcodes GL5, GL6 and GL10) in this, the 48th edition of the Good Beer Guide.

Tim Mars, Stroud CAMRA’s Pubs Officer, who attended the launch event, said he is concerned that for the second national lockdown, regulations have been tightened and pubs will no longer be allowed to offer takeaways of alcohol, as they were during the first lockdown.

“This prohibition is a cruel blow for a trade already reeling from the impact of the first lockdown, and seems grossly unfair as supermarkets and off-licences will still be allowed to sell alcohol.

"It’s anyone’s guess how many local pubs will survive this second, more draconian lockdown, to reopen in December.”