ST ALDATE’S Tavern in Oxford is celebrating after today making it into the “pub bible” – CAMRA’s 42nd annual Good Beer Guide.

It is just one of 71 Oxfordshire establishments that have made into the almanac rating 4,500 pubs in the UK on quality and variety of ale, service and ambiance.

Far From the Madding Crowd , the Lamb and Flag in St Giles and the Royal Blenheim are among the other Oxford ale houses that have been included this year.

St Aldate’s Tavern general manager Ez Parkin said: “We are really happy, we know that having good beer goes a long way.

“We know how much it means to people as an English tradition.”

The pub reopened in 2012 after it was bought by City Pub Company, which, in the words of CAMRA, “turned it around”.

The Good Beer Guide describes St Aldate’s Tavern as a “friendly pub”, serving “good-quality, freshly-cooked food” with an “attractive function room”.

The Pickled Ploughman at Adderbury, The Plum Pudding at Milton and The Duke of Cumberland’s Head at Clifton are among colourfully-name pubs across the county named and famed in this year’s guide.

Oxford CAMRA branch chairman Tony Goulding said pubs with the best variety of real ales had done well this year.

He said competition to make it into the guide in Oxfordshire was “fierce”.

“There are at least a baker’s dozen of pubs in Oxford worthy of the guide but because of the size of the guide we can’t get them all in.”

Mr Goulding, 66, from Kidlington, said 75 per cent of the pubs in the guide were permanent fixtures because they were well-run and enjoyed good support from their brewery.

The retired Oxford bus driver said landlords who emptied their barrels of ale quickly often fared better with the guide’s volunteer inspectors because the ale was fresher.

And he added: “Food has been a lifeline of many pubs but it’s just not one of our criteria.”

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  • The Good Beer Guide 2015 is available from camra.org.uk, price £10

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