Flying Horse Hotel gallops ahead as 2020 branch pub of the year

The Flying Horse Hotel

The award-winning Flying Horse Hotel in Rochdale has been named as the 2020 Rochdale, Oldham & Bury CAMRA Pub of the Year for the fourth year on the trot.

The popular town centre pub is a CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) favourite, having also been named Greater Manchester's Pub of the Year two years running, putting the venue amongst the top 16 in the UK.

The latest accolade is the 27th in just four years for The Flying Horse, which first made CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide in 2002. It has since doubled the size of its real ales to twelve handpumps, with traditional ciders, craft keg and a selection of foreign beers.

One of Rochdale’s oldest pubs, trade at ‘The Flyer’ started in 1691, but it endured a spell renamed as The Sports before landlord Ben Boothman took the reins, seeing potential to transform the town centre building into a destination for drinkers, diners and overnight visitors, as well as an ambition to become the town's premier free live music establishment. 

The Packer Street pub is also a vital supporter of town centre initiatives including Rochdale Food and Drink Festival and the Feel Good Festival.

Ben said: “This is some good news to end this shocking year. Thank you to all that contributed to us receiving the award, especially our wonderful staff.”

The Campaign for Real Ale, CAMRA, was founded in 1971 by a few real ale enthusiasts at a time when traditional rich-flavoured ales were being replaced by brewers producing beers with less demanding production and storing techniques.