Enterprise Inns announce cellar keeper of the year

Noel McMahon, took on the Nightingale, in Nightingale Lane, Wanstead, in 1987 and has there for over 27 years. The award was open to Enterprise publicans, managers, bar staff, cellar men and women in the Greater London.

The judging process took seven months and saw entrants from more than 680 Enterprise pubs across Greater London go through a rigorous audit and assessment process.

They were assessed using the Cask Marque accreditation process looking at beer temperature, appearance, aroma and taste. Line cleaning standards and cellar audits were also used as part of the judging process.

The competition had three rounds judged by Enterprise regional managers and divisional director Nathan Wall, Marston’s technician Jim Bligh, and Cask Marque’s Roger Clayson.

Joint runners-up were Sarah Gillam, who runs the 465-year-old Magpie & Stump, Old Bailey; and George McCabe, part of the team at The Tommy Tucker, in Waterford Road, Fulham.

Enterprise senior regional manager Michael Ekberg, who organised the awards, said: “The importance of the cellar keeper’s role in our business should never be underestimated nor overlooked given the contribution a good cellar makes to a pub’s success and to its profits.

“The cellar is the heart of our business. For that reason, we wanted to acknowledge the superb job our cellar keepers are doing.”

Enterprise CEO Simon Townsend presented them with their prizes at a special ceremony at the Magpie & Stump.

The event was sponsored by Enterprise, Marston’s, InBev, Cask Marque, and Goddards Brewer.