A café bar in Lichfield will be presented with a national award recognising its ‘industrial chic’ design today.
The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has announced bod Lichfield as the winner of the New Build category in its Pub Design Awards 2025.
The competition, run in collaboration with Historic England, highlights the importance and vulnerability of pub architecture with expert judges in the New Build category rewarding owners who have used imagination and flare to create something new and impressive.
bod Lichfield, off Yoxall Way in Streethay, opened in July 2023 and is Titanic Brewery’s first purpose-built venue.
The café bar’s design makes use of recycled wood, distressed paintwork, quirky light fittings and exposed ceiling pipes, and judges felt the new pub was a great addition to Lichfield’s beer scene.
bod Lichfield is the third of the Stoke-on-Trent brewery’s café bars to be recognised in the Pub Design Awards. bod Matlock was highly commended in the Conversion to Pub Use category in 2023, while bod Alsager won that category last year.
Titanic Brewery Director Dave Bott said: “We’re delighted that for the third year in a row, a bod café bar has been recognised in the Pub Design Awards. Typically our bods can be found in converted spaces like former banks or police stations, but our Lichfield location is unique in that it is a purpose-built new construction.
“This presented our architect Mark Smith with a whole host of challenges to create the same bod environment that our customers are used to, and we are incredibly proud of the finished result. This is a space that has been designed for the whole community to make use of – from comfy sofas for friends to catch up; to booth seats for family brunches; to quiet corners with plug sockets for someone to get on with some work; bod Lichfield is a space where people really can come to meet, eat, drink and relax.
“We’re particularly pleased that judges recognised our efforts to ensure that sustainability sits at the heart of the design without compromising the overall aesthetic. Visitors to bod will notice the bar front made from recycled wood panels, chairs reclaimed from former church halls, and even light fittings made from surplus beer casks and bottles!
“The winners across the categories of this year’s Pub Design Awards are all spectacular spaces, and we’re honoured that our bod café bar in Lichfield is included in this illustrious line-up. We’re also grateful to CAMRA and Historic England for running these awards and highlighting just how important it is to preserve these spaces for future generations to enjoy.”
Andrew Davison, Chair of the Pub Design Awards judging panel, said: “The Pub Design Awards recognise the highest standards of pub architecture, rewarding artistic flair and painstaking historical conservation.
“From inviting streetcorner locals to striking medieval coaching inns, there are some stunning pubs in the UK, and the craftmanship involved in making these venues a gorgeous place to enjoy cask beer and real cider or perry should rightfully be applauded.
“I encourage heritage enthusiasts and pub lovers alike to visit these inspirational buildings.”
An award ceremony takes place at the pub this afternoon.
