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WANTAGE landlord Paul Hexter has capped a series of awards with his pub being voted the best in Oxfordshire.

Judges from Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) gave top marks to the Royal Oak Inn as Oxfordshire Camra Pub of the Year 2008. It had been judged the Vale of White Horse champion for the second successive year.

Mr Hexter was presented with his certificate last week at a ceremony attended by town mayor Patrick O'Leary.

The Edwardian street corner pub in Newbury Street goes forward to the regional final.

Hundreds of pubs in the county were assessed for the finest ale, the best value for money, customer service and decor.

Mr Hexter, who won his first Camra award in 1984, less than a year after he first opened, said: "I'm really chuffed. I like to think we have a fun pub - we've raised a lot of money doing silly things for charity over the years -but the beers are the pub's biggest strength.

"We've had a couple of specially brewed ones by West Berkshire Brewery over the years, Dr Hexter's Healer and Dr Hexter's Wedding Ale - they've been very popular. We initially brewed them as one-off brews. We'll brew a special beer to celebrate our 25-year anniversary in September. I'd like to think the pub is a bit of a mecca for ale drinkers. One of its strengths is that it hasn't changed, it's just a traditional old pub.

"I had been a fan of beer prior to getting a pub, but then I just turned a hobby into a career, I suppose.

"I hope the award will attract more people with a like-minded attitude."

Mr Hexter keeps about ten ales on tap at a time. He regularly serves three beers from West Berkshire Brewery and one from Wadworth Brewery. In addition, he sources new ales regularly from as far away as Durham and the Isle of Wight.

Neil Crook, chairman of the White Horse branch of Camra, said: "It's the best pub in Oxfordshire. It's the atmosphere when you go in and the enthusiasm of Paul, and the beers he serves.

"It's a place where people feel comfortable. You meet a lot of people there, make a lot of friends - there's lots of clubs going on. It's not one of those gastro places: what drives it is the quality of the beer."

4:00pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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