I went to the UK’s best pub with quirky ceiling feature, 28 beers on tap – but it doesn’t serve food

FROM the outside, the Bailey Head looks similar immoderate different section pub.

But its unassuming exterior is hiding a concealed - and 1 of the largest selections of autarkic beers successful the country.

Now, its unrivalled enactment and welcoming interior person been recognised with a prestigious award.

The popular taproom has conscionable been named the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) Pub of the Year for the archetypal time.

It’s casual to spot why, and I’ve ne'er seen specified a well-stocked bar.

There are 12 hand-pull brew pumps serving six cask beers and six ciders and perries, positive 16 different draught lines.

Prices commencement from £3.90 for a 4% league lager and spell each the mode up to £10 for a 12% beer.

There are besides up to 100 gins, a ample scope of whiskies, rum, vodkas, wines and different drinks connected offer.

But I’m amazed not to spot a food menu connected the barroom oregon a specials antagonistic supra the brew taps.

Despite being crowned pub of the twelvemonth the Bailey Head does not service food.

The section is cosy and its walls are lined with illustrations of the surrounding country and immoderate of its prestigious awards.

It already has a staggering postulation of trophies from CAMRA, the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA), The Shropshire Goat and TripAdvisor.

But the Bailey Head has not ever been specified a occurrence story.

Nine years agone the section was forced to adjacent its doors for the past clip aft its popularity waned.

Eger to instrumentality connected a challenge, it was bought by hubby and woman duo Duncan Borrowman and Grace Goodlad, who breathed caller beingness into it.

The mates had been moving a volunteer-run societal nine successful South East London but dreamed of having a taproom of their own.

“It had ever been a tube imagination to bargain a pub,” Grace tells me.

“When Ducan’s begetter passed distant it meant helium was going to inherit a small spot of money. We started looking for what we called Plan P, which was a pub and a puppy.

“Nine years on, I inactive haven’t got the puppy.”

At slightest the pub is simply a roaring success.

The mates scoured the country for a suitable determination and had astir fixed up anticipation erstwhile they came crossed the listing for this Oswestry pub.

“Duncan showed maine crossed the societal nine barroom that nighttime and said, what bash you think?” Grace said.

“By lunchtime the next time we had exchanged heads of presumption contracts. We ne'er adjacent saw it earlier we had done the paperwork.”

The mates are the archetypal autarkic owners of the pub, which dates backmost 200 years.

It was primitively known arsenic the Castle Tavern, aft the remnants of Oswestry Castle, which was erstwhile a Royalist stronghold during the English Civil War.

Grace tells me: “We’re wholly independent. Everything we banal is from small, household brewers oregon autarkic brewers.

“We don’t bargain into the large pub companies and large chains. When you spell on the bar, each are beers are from family-owned businesses.

“I tin sanction the brewers successful astir of those breweries and I cognize who their spouses are.”

The mates person sold much than 2,500 antithetic cask beers and 1,000 antithetic Keykeg and keg beers since they opened.

Thousands of coasters of these antithetic beers enactment the ceiling of the pub.

It’s wide the mates are passionate astir brew and often brew their ain with section breweries.

Duncan said: “There are 11 beers connected the partition that we person brewed with brewers.

“We’ve been progressive successful the look development, past had it connected the bar.”

Some of the couple’s creations are much palmy than others.

A 4.7% IPA which was created with section family-run brewery Stonehouse is fashionable with regulars.

Meanwhile, a tube of Scary Monsters airy brew tin merchantability retired successful 2 and a fractional hours connected a engaged day.

But a 5.5% Belgian-style beetroot brew proved harder to sell.

Duncan adds: “We’ve done everything from hazy IPAs to Rose Turkish Delight Imperial Stout.”

The mates person besides brewed peculiar variation beverages to commemorate local events.

Last twelvemonth they partnered with Tom’s Tap and Brewhouse to make a 4.6% airy ale.

The wealth raised was donated to Pancreatic Cancer Action successful honour of 1 of their regulars who passed distant from the illness.

As we chat the mates hole to unfastened the pub.

It’s not adjacent 3 o’clock but I spot immoderate anxious punters waiting outside.

Duncan tells maine that 1 country of the pub known arsenic “controversial corner” fills up betwixt 3 and 4 o’clock.

“This country tends to capable up with tons of azygous radical and couples,” helium said.

It’s the aforesaid radical who travel successful each day, usually aft enactment astatine astir 4 o’clock.”

Grace agrees: “We often person problems with radical moaning they can’t get a array oregon a seat.”

The mates are not exaggerating.

Five minutes aft the pub opens determination are already 12 punters inside, who chat merrily to each other.

I inquire 1 regular, Chris Woods, what helium thinks of his section being named pub of the year.

He tells me: “I deliberation it’s fantastic for the pub and for the town.

“It’s the champion brew successful Oswestry and everyplace other I’ve drunk.”

Another predominant visitor, Romer Hoseason, tells maine helium calls into the pub six days a week.

He adds: “We’re precise pleased the pub has won this award. It lone shows however mediocre the contention is, peculiarly from brewery pubs and chains.”

The regulars settee backmost into their speech and I determine to permission them to it.

The pub is unassuming - but precise welcoming, if I'm adjacent again I would popular successful for a pint.

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