Owner of Gosport pub The Junction Tavern 'ecstatic' to win prestigious CAMRA 'pub of the year' award

The Junction Tavern in Leesland Road, Gosport was named ‘pub of the year’ by the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire branch of real ale advocacy body CAMRA . A trophy, bearing shields with the names of previous winners, was presented by branch chairman Geoff Marsh on Saturday, May 27, and will remain in the pub until next year’s winner is chosen. Winners are selected from the Good Beer Guide and graded on the quality of their ale, cider and perry.

NOW READ: Wendy's: Everything you can expect on the menu of brand new outlet coming to Commercial Road in Portsmouth

Landlady Deana Geary, 49, said: ‘I’m absolutely ecstatic. I’ve worked as a barmaid here for 30 years and I’ve had the keys for the last 13. I’m really conscious of how I look after my ale and I’m just so ecstatic that CAMRA members have recognised all my hard work and given me this accolade.

I’m sure I’ve had some very stiff competition. I think it’s just the fact that I serve really good ale, I change them all the time, I’m really conscious of it and I like to get the customers involved. I don’t have a permanent ale, I’ve got three pumps on the bar and I change them all the time. The customers like the varied selection.’

As a free house, The Junction Tavern mainly serves beer from microbreweries – such as The Powder Monkey Brewing Company, which made a six per cent black forest gateau stout for the pub – and always has something new for customers to try.

The pub is now in the running to be named the best in Hampshire. Deana said her regular customers were ‘equally chuffed’ about the win. The 49-year-old is originally from Kent and moved to Gosport when she was 10.

NOW READ: New restaurant The Panormus Pizzeria opens in Albert Road in Southsea offering an 'authentic' taste of Naples

She added: ‘I’ve had bouquets of flowers sent from the customers to congratulate me. Lots of pubs like Fuller’s and Greene King all offer the same thing, so with a little backstreet boozer like mine you have to give people a reason to come. Serving a beer that you don’t ordinarily see everywhere else is probably a bonus.