The Racehorse Inn near Halesworth crowned CAMRA rural pub of the year

A Suffolk pub that faced closure four years ago has been named rural pub of the year by CAMRA.

The Racehorse Inn, a community-run pub in Westhall near Halesworth, won the award this week – having also featured in this year’s edition of the Good Beer Guide.

This accolade represents a turnaround for the pub, which was brought back after years of closure in December 2019 by a group of local volunteers.

Brenda Smith, one of the first people who set up a village meeting to band together for the sake of The Racehorse, said: “The volunteers felt we had to step in to save the pub.

We’re members of the Plunkett Foundation, which has the ‘more than a pub’ programme to help community ownership.

“This is precisely what our pub has to be – the social hub of the village, alongside a provider of good beer and food.

“There are women who never used to come into the pub, but they are now quite happy to come for a coffee or to meet others.”

Brenda explained that the local village shop closed after the owner passed away, making the need for the pub even more urgent.

One of the local volunteers is a beer enthusiast, and he set up a group of like-minded locals who source great local beers.

Brenda, a retired teacher, continued: “It is very nice to meet all sorts of people when I work in the pub, though I find it funny when I hand over a drink and someone says ‘thanks Miss’ – and the child I taught now has a beard.”

The local branch of CAMRA presented the award to the pub volunteers on Saturday.

CAMRA, which stands for ‘campaign for real ale’, is an independent voluntary consumer organisation focussing on the promotion of real ale.

Chris Punt joins Brenda and six others on the pub’s management committee, and he’s the chairman this year.

He said: ““Winning rural pub of the year was an unexpected honour.

“When I first moved here in 2001, the pub was still open.

“There’s nothing like going down the pub – you never know who’s going to be there or what the conversation’s going to be about.

“Seeing how all the volunteers work to keep the pub going is actually quite emotional.”

The Racehorse Inn is about 95 per cent volunteer-run – local secondary school children working part-time and a cleaner are paid – as was the chef, before they had to leave.

The pub is on the lookout for a new chef. If you’d like to apply, pop in to ask or email Brenda at: secretaryracehorse@gmail.com.