Photo by Graham Mitchell
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has announced the four best pubs in the UK as part of its prestigious Pub of the Year 2024 competition
The Bailey Head has been named one of the four best pubs in the UK after winning a place in the Super Regional round of the Pub of the Year competition.
Nestled near the Welsh borders in the charming market town of Oswestry, the Bailey Head is a must visit for beer and cider lovers. The pub has one of the largest beer ranges of any in Shropshire, claiming to have sold over 3,400 different draught beers since opening in March 2016. Six constantly changing cask beers, always including one dark beer, are supplemented by eleven other draught beers, plus four ciders and a perry. The pub also has a substantial range of canned and bottled beers from across the UK and overseas.
The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) named the pub the UK’s Best Rural Independent Craft Beer Pub or Bar in 2020, and it has been a finalist for the same award many times since. Grace, Duncan, and their team also organise regular tap takeovers and meet the brewer events for the local community.
Landlord Duncan Borrowman said: "To say we are shocked to make it into the final four is an understatement. I am not sure we will ever stop pinching ourselves. It is a testament to our hard-working small team of dedicated staff and our loyal regulars."
Landlady Grace Goodlad said: "When we bought the pub nearly nine years ago, we never dreamt this could happen. It had been failing under the ownership of a major pub company and CAMRA had it protected as an Asset of Community Value. We couldn't have done this without that happening."
Shelly Bentley, West Midlands Regional Director for CAMRA, said:
“A huge congratulations is in order to all at the Bailey Head who have put in the phenomenally hard work to achieve this accolade. I applaud Duncan and Grace’s passion to delivering an exceptional range of beers for their customers, who are very clearly at the centre of Bailey Head’s heart.
“The journey from a tired pub that needed an Asset of Community Value protection, to now achieving Super Regional Pub of the Year is astounding. This is certainly reflected in Duncan, Grace and the rest of the team’s devotion to deliver great beer to their local community, and I hope regulars and new visitors alike will be raising a toast to them all during their next visit.”
The Baily Head will be presented with their award on Saturday 23 November at 1pm, if you are planning to attend, please contact press@camra.org.uk
Notes to editors:
Full list of the super-regional winners:
Black Horse, Preston – North West
Three B’s, Bridlington – Yorkshire
Little Green Dragon, Winchmore Hill – Greater London
Bailey Head, Oswestry – West Midlands
For images of the finalists, contact press@camra.org.uk
The 17 national and regional finalists in the Pub of the Year competition can be found here.
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. The overall winner will be announced in January 2025.
The four finalists will be presented with their awards at local events over the coming weeks.
