Dunton pub proud to be crowned Bedfordshire’s Pub of the Year 2022 by CAMRA

The accolade was awarded by the North Beds, South Beds, and East Beds Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) branches, while it was also crowned East Beds CAMRA Pub of the Year 2022.

The awards came as "a complete but pleasant surprise" to proprietors Janice and John Pritchett, who said it made all the hard work worthwhile.

John told the Chronicle: "So yes, in Central Bedfordshire, near Biggleswade and Potton in Dunton, you have the best freehouse in the area or as we say: 'the best traditional beer pub in the area'. I delight in serving beer of the highest quality and the accolades of true beer lovers mean all the world to me."

At the recent CAMRA presentation, John thanked all customers for their "loyal support and fantastic encouragement" which has helped them to create a "cosy and friendly" village pub where individuals and families can "feel at home".

John said: "When we started The March Hare with our daughter Kerry, we did not think it would be as successful as this because all we had was a love of good beer, an almost derelict pub and zero knowledge of the pub trade."

The March Hare and its customers continue to raise money for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust (Every Breath Matters) and in May, as part of a national pub quiz, John, Janice and their customers had fun with a trivia evening and collected donations for the charity.

The next fundraising event is on Saturday, June 25, with the London Bridges Challenge.

John added: "We've recently installed a small brewery and have brewed our first beer. I have been brewing since I was 15 and look forward to brewing beautiful beers at The March Hare. I would also like to start a brewing club to encourage customers who are keen enough to come and brew a beer themselves to see what it’s like.”

CAMRA's vision is to have quality real ale, cider and perry, and thriving pubs in every community. Its mission is to promote and advocate: the production, availability and consumption of quality real ale, cider and perry; pubs and clubs as social centres and part of the UK’s cultural heritage; and the benefits of responsible social drinking.