We're beer again! Oswestry pub celebrates another awards final spot

The Bailey Head, in Oswestry, has notched up an unparalleled fifth time of being named in the finals of the Society of Independent Brewers national business awards.

Grace Goodlad, landlady of the serial award winning craft ale haven, said: “We are delighted to make it into the finals again.

"This award is from the brewing industry and it's good to know that we are seen as a top-tier craft beer venue by the country’s independent brewers.

"We work incredibly hard on beer quality and it is such a boost to be recognised in this way.

"We are stunned to achieved this for the fifth time.”

The Bailey Head has been named as one of the three best rural craft beer pubs or bars in the whole of the UK, with the overall winner being announced in Liverpool on March 15.

Duncan Borrowman, Grace’s husband and landlord of the pub said: “I spend thousands of hours a year working in the cellar and on managing our beer, this recognition means a huge amount to us.

"I am very proud to have been named in the national finals again, but also intensely grateful to our staff, customers and suppliers for all their hard work and support which has been very important in us getting there.

“We will be in Liverpool on March 15 to see what happens, and of course we would be delighted to take the top spot again! However, making the finals for the fifth time is pretty special and we will be celebrating, whatever happens on the big day.”

The Oswestry pub took the top spot in 2020 and has made it to the final few for five of the last six years.

The other pubs in the coveted category are the Elephant & Castle, in Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire and the Fox & Hounds Beer House, Caversham, near Reading in Berkshire.

The organisers say the awards seek to congratulate excellence in the brewing industry across a variety of categories, from pump clip, can and bottle design, to efforts taken by brewers to make their business more sustainable, innovative or successful, as well as naming the UK’s best pubs, bars and retailers of craft beer from independent breweries.

Neil Walker, chair of judges, said: "With hundreds of superb entries from across the UK, I would like to say a huge congratulations to all of the breweries and beer businesses named as finalists in the SIBA Business Awards 2023.

"To make it this far is a huge, huge achievement and the judging panel had an incredibly tough job this year such was the quality of entries overall. I’d also like to wish the finalists good luck ahead of the awards presentation at BeerX in Liverpool on March 15.”