PUNTER Paul Ainsworth raised a pint today in favour of The Evening Star's Suffolk Pub of the Year Competition 2002.The regional director of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) wholeheartedly backed our search for the best watering hole in the area – which includes a real ale pub category.

PUNTER Paul Ainsworth raised a pint today in favour of The Evening Star's Suffolk Pub of the Year Competition 2002.

The regional director of Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) wholeheartedly backed our search for the best watering hole in the area – which includes a real ale pub category.

"Anything that promotes pubs and pub going we are totally in favour of," said Mr Ainsworth.

"Pubs are having a hard time at the moment. Anything to give them publicity and reminds people that they are pretty good places to go to I am entirely supportive of the whole concept.

"Obviously the real ale aspect is what is closest to our hearts but we are pretty enthusiastic about the competition generally.

"It is all good stuff. We will be really interested to see what your readers come up with – we will drink with them and drink to them.

"CAMRA members have their very own personal favourites – pubs they like going to.

"Sometimes we are a bit stuck in the mud and don't explore as much as we should. Perhaps your readers will come up with some hidden gems we were not aware of."

Over the next six months we will be celebrating Suffolk's magnificent range of hostelries and the wonderful breweries and pub companies who have a home in our county.

If you love a pub in Suffolk, please tell us about it.

If your favourite specialises in real ale or good food, or both, let the judges know your feelings.

There are 13 categories, including all of our towns and surrounding areas so there should be one to suit your taste.

The next stage of the competition sees the initial entries whittled down to a hot 100 and from then on it's a fab 50 before final judging brings the list down to 39 finalists.

The list will be announced in the summer with a glittering finale in the autumn.

Remember, landladies and landlords, together with pub managers can enter their own establishments, so do get cracking and fill in the coupon.