CAMRA members are invited to take part in the beer scoring of pubs (and clubs) in the CAMRA Central Lancashire branch area.

As a branch we use the beer scores submitted by CAMRA members to help select the pubs that we put forward for the Good Beer Guide and those that we consider for branch awards like the Pub of the Season etc.

We welcome beer scores from all CAMRA members, but we particularly welcome beer scores from as many local CAMRA members as possible as we believe it most important that we represent and reflect the views of our local membership.

Beer Scoring is organised by use of the National Beer Scoring System (NBSS), which is effectively part of the WhatPub database, which hopefully most CAMRA members will now be familiar with.

How do I submit my scores?

As a CAMRA member you are able to submit your scores by means of:-

You must be logged in to submit beer scores. This is done by inputting your CAMRA membership number and password.

You can then easily navigate around the website by selecting a particular pub name or a town name etc.

Then while viewing a selected pub, you can input your beer score information using the displayed 'Submit Beer Scores' box. You are asked to provide the date you visited the pub, the name of the beer or beers that you are rating, and the beer scores (see below) that you are wanting to award.

That's all there is to it.

What do the scores mean?

Possible beer scores are 0.0 to 5.0, in 0.5 step increments.

Typically this is how the various points scores can be interpreted:-

0.0 : None. No cask ale available, or beer is totally undrinkable.

1.0 : Poor. Beer that is anything from barely drinkable to drinkable with considerable resentment.

2.0 Average. Competently kept, drinkable pint but doesn't inspire in any way, not worth moving to another pub but you drink the beer without really noticing.

3.0 Good. Good beer in good form. You may cancel plans to move to the next pub. You want to stay for another pint and may seek out the beer again.

4.0 Very Good. Excellent beer in excellent condition.

5.0 Perfect. Probably the best you are ever likely to find. A seasoned drinker will award this score very rarely.

Don't be afraid to make your own decision on the quality of a beer - everyone is different and everyone has their own opinions. If you think a beer comes somewhere between two of the above categories, then use the extra 0.5 option to more accurately reflect your views.

What happens next?

Once beer scores have been submitted, then they are accessible to the Pubs Officer of CAMRA Central Lancashire branch. Our Pubs Officer is able to extract the beer scores from the NBSS and analyse them comparing pub to pub to determine what different CAMRA members are experiencing right up to the current date.

This is all valuable information for the branch. It may identify pubs that have gone under the radar, and which deserve more investigation as to their merits. Similarly it may identify those well established pubs that have become complacent, and which for example are no longer deserving of a place in the Good Beer Guide.

For your own future reference the NBSS will maintain a record of your scores so you can look back to see what beers you have had and how you rated them in the past. However be assured, that although you may have submitted a beer score, you will not be contacted about it or be expected to justify your rating.