2:08pm Tuesday 23rd August 2011
CIDER drinkers have named a Colchester pub their favourite in the whole of East Anglia – for the second year running.
However, John Parrick, landlord of the Odd One Out, insists he started selling cider “almost by accident”.
His Mersea Road pub has won three regional Campaign for Real Ale cider awards in four years, though the national title still eludes him.
Mr Parrick, the pub’s landlord for the past 25 years, said: “I was surprised to win again, because we won it last year.
“I never thought for one minute we’d get it, particularly because East Anglia is a big area with several large cities.
“It’s terrific and the funniest thing, really, is we never intended to be a cider pub.
“We started selling it almost by accident when we were approached by a wholesaler who was looking for somewhere he could drop off some barrels during his London run.
“I wasn’t even aware of the award until we first won it four years ago. It means that much more really, because we have never made a special effort to win it.”
The pub has been praised in the past for its beer and cider and for creating an old-style pub environment where mobile phones are banned.
Chris Rouse, Camra’s regional cider co-ordinator, said: “This year was a close competition, but the locals make a pub what it is and you can’t argue with that.”
The four ciders the pub sells are all produced naturally from freshly-pressed apples and are not artificially carbonated.
Mr Parrick celebrated the win on Sunday with a barbecue, which raised more than £80 for Help for Heroes.