Pubs

CAMRA’s official pub of the year 2025 is… The Bailey Head in Oswestry, Shropshire! According to the judges: ‘The pub is a rags-to-riches success story after the owners turned what was once a closed local into a haven for the local community.’

That focus on community was really what pushed the Bailey Head into the top spot, as CAMRA’s Awards Director Laura Emson explained; ‘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.’

The boozer not only sells a selection of quality beers and ciders, it is also ‘a hub for locals to come together for good causes through events like their charity pub quizzes and live music’, and its landlords say that they have a strict ‘everyone welcome’ policy. Owner Duncan Borrowman said: ‘Any person should feel happy and comfortable coming in by themselves and enjoying a drink, either on their own or chatting to other customers.’

‘We thrive on being the heart of the community and a place where people gather to celebrate or commiserate.’

The owners of a pub have been left baffled after finding an unopened can of beer in the roof - dating back more than 30 years.

The tin of Joseph Holt bitter was discovered in the ceiling during a major refurbishment of the pub in Greater Manchester.

The beer is no longer available in cans, only on draught or in mini kegs, and has not been for more than three decades.

It is now being preserved as a piece of history in a display cabinet behind the bar at the Starkey Arms on Manchester Road, Heywood.

A pub scored an own goal with a promotion offering a free pint every time Nottingham Forest scored - only for the Reds to win 7-0.

The Gedling Inn, in Nottinghamshire, came up with the promotion to spread the word after it started to televise local Premier League games at the venue.

But the incentive backfired after Forest scored seven without reply against Brighton on Saturday - and almost 300 free beers were handed over the bar.

Landlady Beccy Webster said: "When the final whistle went, I just said 'phew!'"

“Do you want a shot?” asks Katy Sherrington from Durham, offering up a tiny glass of a pink liquid. Nobody is going anywhere at this point, so it would be rude not to accept.

On Saturday night at the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub, the snow is falling and the crowd of about 30 people inside know they are probably stuck here for a couple of days. Throughout the place, at the northern edge of North Yorkshire, drinks are flowing and friends are being made.

Weather warnings for snow are in place across much of the UK, and the Met Office has advised the public to only make necessary journeys, with road closures, train and flight cancellations, and rural communities becoming cut off.

That is something the staff at the Tan Hill Inn, which is 528 metres (1,732ft) above sea level, are used to. The pub has a history of what people call “snow-ins” – in 2021, 61 punters who had come to watch an Oasis tribute band were trapped for three days.

So the team are well prepared. Their electric power comes from a generator and there is enough food for about a month, “but hopefully it won’t come to that” says Nicole Hayes, one of the bar staff, who has done a number of phone interviews with local and national media in the run-up to the weather warning, such is the reputation of the pub.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/21430053

The UK government is being urged to act now to allow British wrestling fans to watch big WWE shows in bars and pubs. WWE's move to Netflix happens on January 1 which will signal an end to “watch parties” across the country, where wrestling lovers gather inside pubs and bars to watch WWE's big monthly Premium Live Events – or PPVs for the older crowd.

And with WWE launching all of its live content on Netflix on January 6, the parties at pubs and bars will end as they are not allowed to show Netflix-streamed content in the way they were allowed to show content on Sky Sports or TNT Sports Box Office in the past.

One of the main organisers of the watch parties, Hooked on Wrestling, announced that their last set of events took place on last month with the Survivor Series War Games event, which saw fans launch a petition in a bid to force WWE to act on the issue.

And now MP Mike Reader – who has taken part in wrestling training in the past and is a diehard wrestling fan – has backed calls for WWE to make a deal with Netflix and the UK's pub industry.

Speaking to the Daily Star, he said: “ Watching wrestling with friends and fellow fans can be inspiring. It isn't only a social good but economically important too.

“I support the campaign to ensure wrestling watch events can continue. I know the issue is being looked at by government officials, and will keep a close eye on this.”

The Irish stout, known for its distinctive warm brown color, creamy foam head and unique method of being poured (a proper pint of Guinness takes 119.5 seconds to pour), has long been known as the drink of choice for rugby lads and men at the pub.

Yet in the past two years, Guinness has skyrocketed in popularity, especially among young people and women.

From July to October, sales of beer decreased 0.5% in the UK, according to CGA, a data insights firm for food and drink businesses. Yet across the same period, sales of beer increased by 23.2% for Diageo, which owns the Guinness brand. Specifically, sales of Guinness in kegs grew by 20.9%.

By the end of October, Guinness was the top-selling beer in the UK by volume across 2024, according to Nielsen data that was shared with CNN.

With the sudden increase in demand, Diageo has told some pub owners that it would set allocation limits on Guinness to ensure distribution can last through the holiday season.

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“Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in (Great Britain),” a Diageo spokesperson said in a statement. “We have maximized supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”

The allocation limits have not affected all pubs. But pub owners told CNN that they are weary about having enough supply to meet demand, especially during the holiday season, which is often the busiest time of the year and crucial for weekly profit margins.

An animal rights group has been accused of undermining real issues after asking a pub to change its name, claiming it is offensive to foxes.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals group (Peta) wrote to owners of The Sly Old Fox on Hurst Street, Birmingham, saying the name was "derogatory".

Instead, Elisa Allen from the campaign group asked them to consider swapping "sly" with "clever".

People on social media have said the request trivialised animal rights issues, but Ms Allen has hit back saying critics were getting their "knickers in a twist"

Paying a premium for a flight during the school holidays or a cab at peak hours might be expected but fluctuating charges – otherwise known as surge pricing – could become the norm in other industries, say experts.

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The Wardour Street branch of O’Neill’s pub in Soho, central London, has implemented an additional £2 charge to pints ordered after 10pm. This means a pint of Brewdog IPA that costs £7.40 during the day will cost £9.40 after 10pm. The policy has been in place since 2022 to comply with the licensing requirement for more security staff.

Some customers expressed their disappointment on social media at the price bump. One wrote on X: “This new idea of dynamic pricing is ridiculous, greedy and needs calling out. Very shortsighted.”

However, another noted that charging more during busier periods was similar to discounts and offers at quieter times. “I was going to say I thought it was awful, but is it not simply ‘happy hour’ in reverse? ”

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Restaurants, bars and pubs may increase prices during busier times such as celebrations or match days. However, this is something we might see on a more regular basis, Stahl said.

Stonegate Group, Britain’s largest pub group and owner of chains including the Slug & Lettuce and Yates’s, said it was raising prices at 800 of its venues during peak times, such as weekends, to help cover costs, including staffing.

A pint of beer during the busiest periods would cost drinkers 20p more. It has previously done so during special events, such as World Cups.

A city centre pub which has pledged to give all its profits to good causes has donated none five years after launching - despite still marketing itself as "supporting charity". The Good Intent opened in Birmingham's Great Western Arcade in October 2019 after successfully crowdfunding nearly £18,000.

The stylish pub, founded by Stourbridge-based Craddock’s Brewery, was described at the time as the UK's 'first not-for-profit bar' and promised to donate all profits to local charities. However, its financial statements have revealed it has failed to make any profit since opening.

Owner David Craddock told BirminghamLive it had not been possible to donate to good causes - other than "little bits here and there" - because the bar was not in profit. He said the pub was still struggling to recover from the pandemic but hoped it would find itself in the black next year.

Despite not being in the position to donate as promised, beer mats inside the pub state "ten per cent goes to charity" and that "one good deed deserves another". The bar's Instagram posts are regularly captioned with #supportingcharity. We counted at least ten instances of this hashtag across its 50-plus posts on the social media platform.

One post, from November 2023, states: "We are The Good Intent, the UK's first non-profit bar. What does that mean? That means that all profit we make goes to local charities." Yet all of the Good Intent's annual accounts between 2021, when its first accounts were filed, and 2024 state donating was "not possible".

Mr Craddock also strongly denied a former worker's unsubstantiated claims they were "told to lie on behalf of the company" when quizzed by customers about its charitable donations. The ex-employee alleged: "I lied to every customer that asked me about the details. They have benefitted from this lie as many customers who booked a table, or function room, did so because they thought the profit was going to charity."

In the Palm Tree pub, east London, barman Alf is taking only cash at the rattling 1960s till. The building, which is Grade II-listed, stands in the middle of Mile End Park, and Alf has worked here since 1976. “It’s a wonderful pub,” he says.

It is also ranked fifth in Time Out’s 50 Best Pubs in London list, published this month, and marks a clear preference that has emerged for traditional boozers.

The majority of pubs in the top 50 are old-school, with carpets, karaoke or Irish music nights. Pickled eggs are often the extent of the culinary output. Some – whisper it – even sell pints for under a fiver.

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According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), “wet-led” pubs, which rely on their beverage offering and often don’t have a food menu, have closed at faster rates than food-driven establishments.

When pubs do open – especially in the capital – many pitch themselves as a gastropub: £30 roasts, Aperol spritz, posh crisps and pints north of £7. Among London’s most successful openings since the pandemic are the Devonshire in Soho and the Plimsoll in Finsbury Park, both most celebrated for their food. However, it seems that the traditional boozer is far from serving its last pints. “Maybe we’re old romantics, but old-school boozers are the beating heart of this city,” wrote the Time Out food and drink editor, Leonie Cooper, when launching the top 50.

“The pubs on this list are heavy with the powerful whiff of history – though that just might be the sticky carpets – and throbbing with heat, soul and community charm.”

“There will always be a desire for well-managed pubs serving amazing beer in our communities,” says Ash Corbett-Collins, national chair at Camra, the campaign for real ale. All the finalists of Camra’s 2024 Pub of the Year competition were “fantastic examples of pubs that prioritise their well-maintained drink selection, as opposed to an extensive food menu.”