A North Staffordshire venue described as a ‘passion project which has become a stand-out operation’ has clinched the title of Great British Pub of the Year in the Great British Pub Awards.
The Crown Wharf, in Stone, was crowned Town Pub of the Year before going on to win the overall awards at a ceremony earlier this week.
Judges praised the pub’s achievements since opening in 2021, noting the site was a car park just six years ago.
The ceremony in Leeds proved to be a successful evening for Staffordshire as a county with The Manor House of Whittington, in Kinver, winning the Marston’s Pub of the Year award.
The South Staffordshire pub was described as offering ‘plenty of nooks and crannies to enjoy a quiet pint alongside stunning outside space all whilst serving up excellent food and superb drink.’
The Tamworth Tap, in Tamworth, made the shortlist for Best Beer Pub, a category it won last year.
The Crown Wharf, on Crown Street, is Joule’s Brewery’s flagship Brewery Tap and sits alongside the canal on a site once owned by the brewery back in the 1970s but never developed.
Work began on the newbuild pub in 2019 before having to stop when the Covid pandemic struck.
Accepting the top title of the night, Vicky Colclough, Managing Director at Joule’s Brewery, which is based in Markey Drayton, described it as an ‘absolute honour.’
She said: “We developed through the pandemic in the great faith that people want somewhere with great beer, great food and with a real community aspect. The following and outreach that we have had has been phenomenal.
“We built a theatre onsite to give away to the community to run as a trust and it was a really big and bold move for a regional brewer to do, particularly in the pandemic. We leapt with it with confidence and great faith in our customer base.
“Crown Wharf is a flagship, and it is created to be our ideal pub as a Joules Brewery taphouse, but it mirrors exactly what we are doing across Staffordshire, Shropshire and Cheshire. Whilst we have won for Crown Wharf, I really do think it is a win for the brewery itself.”
Ed Bedington, editor of The Morning Advertiser, which organises the awards, said yesterday: “All of our winners excel across the board, but I’m delighted to reveal that the Crown Wharf has taken the overall title of the pub.
“This is a new build project which draws on all the traditions of the Great British Pub to create a venue that is both modern and comfortably familiar at the same time. It’s a shining example of community value and hospitality at its best.”
He added: “Not many new pubs are being built, and the Crown Wharf is a fantastic addition to a sector which is in danger of disappearing. I take my hat off to Joules for having the courage, foresight and sheer grit to battle on to create such a stunning business, one that is a testament to everything we should celebrate about the Great British Pub.”
