Shifnal High Street pub wins CAMRA title
A pub in Shropshire is celebrating after being named as the urban pub of the year for the county.
The White Hart, in High Street, Shifnal, was awarded the title by Telford and East Shropshire CAMRA.
Andy Koczy and his wife Jayne received a certificate and the Brian Whittaker shield at a presentation at the pub earlier this month.
Mr Koczy, who has owned the pub for the past 19 years, said the title was down to the team effort put in by his staff.
He said: "It's not just about the beer we sell, it's about the people who run it and their standards.
"We're a traditional boozer, we don't have a jukebox or a pool table; we have a darts and dominoes team."
He also put the win down to the consistency of the ales served at the pub, as they beat off competition from 30 pubs to claim the award.
He said: "It's all about the consistency. To sell good beer, have good drinkers and a nice atmosphere."
The pub is predominantly a real ale pub, and its reputation is helped by real ale coach trips turning up to the pub on their way to Shrewsbury.
"We have seven real ales on at any one time, five of those are permanent and then we have two revolving guest ales," added Mr Koczy.
"We have a massive reputation as we have been here for 19 years and we have coaches and people come from all over the Midlands because we are in Camra's Good Beer Guide.
"Lots stop off on their way to Shrewsbury as they come on Camra trips from the Black Country and jnow we have good ales on."
The pub was previously named pub of the year for four years in a row from 2004 to 2007, but Camra has now split the award into rural and urban pub of the year categories.
The rural pub of the year was Fighting Cocks in Stottesdon.
Mr Koczy added: "It's a great idea to put pubs on the map who do great ales but are out in the sticks so sometimes don't get enough recognition."
