Photo: Richard Everard, Chairman – Everards Brewery, Roger Protz, Beer Writer, Keith Bott, SIBA & Titanic Brewery, Stephen Gould, Managing Director – Everards Brewery and Carl Brett, Regional Director – CAMRA East Midlands.

CAMRA has awarded the Bill Squires Award to Everards for its work in supporting microbrewers, championing cask ale and reviving pubs. It is the first time the award has been presented in ten years.

The winner of the Bill Squires Award is voted for by local CAMRA branches in the East Midlands. The accolade is very rarely given. CAMRA presented it to Everards in recognition of the Project William scheme. Everards has partnered smaller brewers and ‘cask ale champions’ to breathe new life into closed or previously unsustainable pubs. Project William has led to the resurrection of 29 pubs in the Midlands so far, working in tandem with 10 local brewers. Of those 29, 15 were closed before Everards invested in them. And 17 have gone on to win CAMRA Pub of the Year Awards.

Presenting the award at Nottingham’s Sir John Borlase Warren pub, CAMRA East Midlands regional director Carl Brett said: “We have seen Project William develop and grow right across our region. We see how this scheme supports microbrewers and gives pub customers a fantastic choice of local ales in pubs that may not still be going without it. Our members felt that this commitment needed to be recognised and we are pleased to present it to Everards.”

Everards chairman Richard Everard said: “This award will take pride of place in the brewery. We are passionate about great pubs and great beer and Project William gives us an opportunity to deliver both for local communities. We would like to thank all the breweries and cask ale champions who work alongside us and we look forward to continuing Project William for many years. We hope Project William gives some of our partners the opportunity to become fifth-generation brewers, just like ourselves!”

The award was made in May 2014.

You can read more about Project William here