Shropshire pub named best boozer in Britain – ‘We’re stunned!’
The Bailey Head in Oswestry, Shropshire, has been named Britain’s best boozer today, winning the Campaign for Real Ales Pub of the Year award.
The free house was bought by Duncan Borrowman and Grace Goodlad nine years ago when it had failed under the ownership of a major pub company.
The Campaign for Real Ales (CAMRA) listed the pub as an ‘Asset of Community Value’ to protect it from being knocked down or redeveloped and almost a decade later, the work of Duncan and Grace has seen it win multiple awards.
The owners told GB News: “I think we’re both just stunned, I don’t think we’ve had the chance to feel like we’re celebrating, we’re just walking around in a daze because it’s mad really.
“It’s been a very hard nine years in the pub industry with Covid and the energy crisis, all those things have had a knock-on effect on license trade and the brewing industry.
“It feels like a massive accolade to hard work, and to the support of our customers and families who have helped make it happen.”
For the Bailey Head, community has been at the heart of what they do, with the pub regularly hosting charity quiz nights and live music.
The owners added: “We try to be very inclusive, we work with a charity called OsNosh, the local surplus food place, and lots of other people like that just to be an integral part of Oswestry and not just a pub.”
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CAMRA is a not-for-profit consumer group with over 147,000 members, working to ensure there’s quality real ale and thriving pubs in every community.
All the pubs in the competition are selected by CAMRA volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, value for money, customer mix and most importantly – quality of beer.
CAMRA Chairman for Shrewsbury and West Shropshire, Dave Ricketts, said: “The story of the Bailey Head from humble beginnings proves that any pub can become the best in the UK with some hard graft.”
CAMRA Awards Director, Laura Emson, added: “There could not be a more deserving winner for the Pub of the Year than the Bailey Head.
“In a time when running a pub is a significant challenge, the commitment and enthusiasm Duncan and Grace show should be highly commended and seen as an example.
“January can be an especially tough time for our locals, so please get out and visit them and provide the support that is so desperately needed for pubs across the UK.”