We turned our failing pub into the UK’s best (after we stopped serving food)

The Bailey Head in Oswestry has today been named the national Pub of the Year by the Campaign for Real Ale at a jubilant ceremony. But it hasn’t always been plain sailing.

The Grade II listed building, formerly known as The Castle Tavern and The Eagles, has been an inn for more than 200 years. But with business far from bustling in the early 2010s, there were fears that it could be sold off and converted into housing. The local CAMRA branch ran a campaign to have it listed as an Asset of Community Value in 2015, in the hope that its future could be secured. But the business needed a steady hand to guide it to success.

Enter Grace Goodlad and Duncan Borrowman, already experienced club managers in Kent. Thanks to a family inheritance, the couple were looking to buy a pub of their own – somewhere there was a market for quality real ale and craft beer. They scoured the country for a suitable business and when they saw the Oswestry tavern’s sale listing they were keen to take a look, despite never having visited the town before.

The takings were bad, the reputation was in the gutter, but they were sold on the building’s potential. They put in an offer and the hard work began. The renamed Bailey Head opened on March 8 2016. The quirky interior decoration is part of its charm, including the so-called Monkey Room which features apes on the wallpaper, art and brass lamp fittings.

“The first two years were sheer living hell,” Grace says. We were working 100 hours a week each and we had to challenge people’s perceptions of what our pub was all about.”

What makes this pub so special?

The tough graft was worth it, with The Bailey Head being named the best of nearly 40,000 UK pubs today, after a rigorous process of voting and judging. The secret of Goodlad and Borrowman’s achievement is the sense of community they have created.

“We have always had a policy of ‘everyone welcome’,” says Duncan. “Any person should feel happy and comfortable coming in by themselves and enjoying a drink, either on their own or chatting to other customers.

“We are at our best being a heart of the community and a place where people gather to celebrate or commiserate.”

A lively programme of events keeps regulars entertained and ensures that the imposing stuccoed building has become a destination pub for travellers from further afield. Beer tastings, live music and charity quizzes all play their part in keeping The Bailey Head bustling.

Fantastic service keeps the punters coming back. The pub is especially valued as a safe environment by lone female customers, the LGBTQ+ community and people with mobility issues.

They are so dog friendly that if a regular gets a puppy they will be brought in to be admired in the bar before they are taken to their new home. Staff give out free treats to any dog that arrives. The most pampered pooches can enjoy Sir Woofchester’s fancy dog pots which are on sale beside the packs of snacking cheese and olives available for the human clientele.

Beer quality

Goodlad and Borrowman have steadily improved the beer quality and choice. They have six cask beers and six ciders and perries on handpull, with a further 16 draught lines for keg beer and a striking array of cans. The range always includes a variety of well kept light and dark beers, as well as continual choices of gluten-free, vegan and alcohol-free drinks.

They support local brewers – Station Bitter from near-neighbours, Stonehouse Brewery, is a permanent fixture on the bar – but beyond that, anything goes. Always seeking the best, the beer menu is continually changing. Since 2016, the couple have offered more than 2,500 unique cask ales to a welcoming public. They even get stuck in themselves and make collaboration beers with a range of brewers to keep the offer fresh.

If beer’s not your thing, The Bailey Head still has you covered with an impressive array of more than 100 gins and a cracking selection of rums. Expect household names cheek-by -jowl with high-end craft spirits in a range that is interesting and dynamic.

Goodlad and Borrowman say they are “thrilled” with their award, but they are quick to share the glory.

“This win is also down to our incredible team of staff, who bring their knowledge and welcome,” says Borrowman. “And our wonderful regulars who have become very much a community in their own right.”

Does a brilliant pub have to serve food?

Hot food was first introduced to pubs in the 1950s by the revolutionary Berni Inns and taken to a new level by the launch of the Beefeater chain in the 1970s. The rise of the gastropub and changes to the Licensing Act which allowed all day opening on a Sunday in the 1990s saw pub food really come into its own.

Diversifying a pub’s offer with a food menu has been considered to be practically essential by some commentators, but recently, high overheads have made it harder for venues to sustain the right level of quality. The Bailey Head abandoned its hot food offer after Covid.

“Because of rising costs we decided to focus on what we are best at,” says Goodlad. “Drinks are our core business and stopping our food menu saved on a lot of costs.”

They have plenty of gourmet bar snacks on offer – including delectable chilli and ale beer sticks – a higher class of Peperami – from local producer Will Macken of Shropshire Salumi, but punters are encouraged to bring meals in from neighbouring businesses. This supports the local economy and fosters a sense of community among the local independent businesses – another reason why The Bailey Head has, rightly, been named the best in the business.