The Ship and Castle in Aberystwyth has been named as the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) West Wales Pub of the Year 2022.

A presentation of the award to landlord Ian Blair will be held in the pub at 6.30pm on Wednesday 24 August.

Having won the Bae Ceredigion CAMRA pub of the year award earlier this year, the Ship and Castle was then judged in the West Wales competition alongside the winning pubs from Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Winning the West Wales competition makes the Ship and Castle one of the top three real ale pubs in Wales and it is now up against the winners from North Wales and South Wales for the award of CAMRA Wales Pub of the Year 2022.

“I am delighted that the effort and enthusiasm demonstrated by landlord Ian Blair and his team at the Ship and Castle has been recognised by another CAMRA award,” said Mary Galliers, Chair of Bae Ceredigion CAMRA.

“The quality of the real ale is the most important single factor in the pub of the year competition and the Ship and Castle is rightly known as Aberystwyth’s real ale flagship thanks to the wide range of cask ale in tip-top condition that customers can enjoy there.

“This is the fifth time in recent years that a Ceredigion pub has won the CAMRA West Wales pub of the year award. We are very fortunate to have great pubs like the Ship and Castle in our area and I urge people to continue to support all our local pubs as much as they can.”

CAMRA members select their local pub of the year winner and then judges visit the winning pubs to evaluate them against CAMRA’s criteria for the West Wales award.

The criteria include the quality of the real ale; how well beer is promoted; the role a pub plays in its local community; the atmosphere; the décor; and the welcome.

The West Wales CAMRA Pub of the Year has previously been won by four Bae Ceredigion CAMRA pubs - the Rhos yr Hafod, Cross Inn (Llanon) in 2018; the Druid Inn, Goginan in 2017; the Glengower Hotel, Aberystwyth in 2016; and Y Talbot, Tregaron in 2015.