We are delighted to be named as a Finalist in the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Business Awards for the eighth year out of Nine in the UK’s Best Independent Beer Bar or Pub – Rural.

For the second year running two North Shropshire venues are in the final four as the Crafty Dragon in Whitchurch joins us again. In fact all four finalists are the same as last year.

We were the winner in 2020 and Highly Commended in 2024.

The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony in Liverpool on Wednesday, 18 March.

Winners and finalists since the competition started:

2026
Finalists
Northstowe Tap & Social, Northstowe
The Crafty Dragon, Whitchurch
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
The Brewers 1841, Ossett

2025
Winner
Northstowe Tap & Social, Northstowe
Finalists
The Crafty Dragon, Whitchurch
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
The Brewers 1841, Ossett

2024
Winner
Royal Barn, Kirkby Lonsdale
Highly Commended
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
Finalist
Vocation and Co., Hebden Bridge

2023
Winner
Elephant & Castle, Wheathampstead
Finalists
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
The Fox & Hounds Beer House, Caversham

2022
Winner
The Fox & Hounds Beerhouse, Caversham
Finalists
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
The Riverhead Brewery Tap, Marsden
Too Hoppy, Tavistock

2021
Winner
The Royal Barn, Kirkby Lonsdale
Finalists
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
The Salutation Inn, Ham

2020
Winner
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
Finalists
The Reading Rooms, Wheathampstead
The Wonston Arms, Winchester
Vocation and Co, Hebden Bridge

2019
Winner
Bowland Beer Hall, Clitheroe
Finalists
Kirkstall Bridge Inn, Leeds
The Star Inn, Halesworth
The Harvester, Southam

2018
Winner
The Cove, Kingsbridge, Devon

Finalists
The Bailey Head, Oswestry
Geese and Fountain, Croxton Kerrial, Lincolnshire
Red Lion Inn, Wiltshire

2017
Winner
The Salutation Inn, Ham, Gloucestershire
Finalists
Arvon Ale House, Llandrindod Wells, Powys
The Old Workshop, Teignmouth, Devon

2016
Winner
Yew Tree Inn, Bunbury, Cheshire

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In July we set off on a Grand Yorkshire Collaboration Brewing Tour. Grace and Duncan brewed at North Riding Brewery near Scarborough, Turning Point Brew Co. in Knaresborough, then back up the A64 to Brass Castle Brewery in Malton, then finally Duncan headed back to Shropshire, leaving Grace to brew at the Rat (Ossett) Brewery at the Rat and Ratchet in Huddersfield. We brewed a grand total of 19,000 pints of beer!

All four beers will go on the bar in cask on Friday, 22 August and will be on until Sunday, 24 August. A cask of each will also be on at the CAMRA Shrewsbury Beer Festival from 24th to 27th September.

So after a visit to the town near Leyburn where Grace’s parents briefly ran a pub when she was born, and a night in a stables just outside Richmond then a night in Whitby, early on the Monday morning we headed to Snainton, just outside Scarborough and…

North Riding Brewery

On arrival we were greeted by Adrian who runs the office at North Riding who took us through to brewer Stuart to get our brew day up and going. As with all of the collaboration beers we had been chatting ideas by Whatsapp and we settled on a 4.3% Pale using two pretty new American hops. Audacia – launched in 2023 brings flavours of a summery picnic and HBC 630 brings more berries and stone fruits.

The day also involved a discussion about Stuart’s Vinyl Record collection/addiction and a trip to Glaves the butchers in nearby Brompton for their huge roast meat rolls with gravy!

Next we headed down the A64 to Knaresborough, we stayed overlooking the Market Place and went to Six Poor Folk, where we had a few pints of Turning Point Wavelength, accompanied by a Whatsapp debate with Aron and Cameron at Turning Point about the use of sparklers, which leads us on to…

Turning Point Brew Co

It was great to catch up with Cameron and the gang at TP. With a fair amount of tech in the brewery it was less hands on than North Riding, we even managed a walk to the lido! For Velvet Goldmine we had agreed a 4.8% DDH Pale, we wanted to use New Zealand hops, but avoiding Nelson, as we had used it twice in our Castle Rock collaborations. The three hops we went for were Nectaron known for its intense tropical fruit and citrus flavours, particularly pineapple, passionfruit, peach, and grapefruit., Riwaka again givimg intense citrus and tropical fruit flavours, particularly grapefruit and passionfruit – the Riwaka that Turning Point got were from a single producer and had an amazing aroma. and Southern Cross bringing lemon and spice.

Next it was back up the A64 to the lovely market town of Malton…

Brass Castle Brewery

This whole adventure started when Brass Castle Brewery owner Phil Saltonstall came to see us after we won National Pub of the Year. Duncan and Phil sat having a beer and collaborations came up in conversation, Phil said yes to one with them.  This evolved into the idea that if we were travelling up to North Yorkshire we should make the most of it with a tour. This year Brass Castle have been doing a series of 5% IPAs all with the Morph name. We have had the Brithop, the Mango and the NEIPA. With Duncan’s love of Red Rye IPA it didn’t take long to agree on brewing Morph Red with brewer Sam using Rye and Wheat in the grist and Columbus, Centennial, Talus and El Dorado hops for a peppery balance and tropical zest to go with the Rye. We had a lovely lunch at the Purple Carrot vegetarian cafe with Phil and his wife Harriet, a marked contrast to the rolls from Glaves. As with all Brass Castle Beers, the beer will be Gluten Free (and Vegan).

On Thursday morning Duncan headed back to Shopshire, but he dropped Grace off in Huddersfield so that she could brew on Friday…

Rat Brewery

On Friday Grace did the hardest physical brew day of the four at the Rat Brewery in the basement of the Rat and Ratchet pub in Huddersfield. Rat are owned by Ossett and this is the second recipe Grace has done with Paul Spencer, the Ossett Head of Brew Pubs, after Wild Flower which we brewed at their Riverhead. CAMRAT is a 5% NEIPA. Large amounts of wheat and oats coupled with a high mash temperature to give lots of body. Late Citra hops and Talus dry hops with no bittering hops for a juicy hazy pale. Grace arrived back with quite a few aches and pains from a physical workout!

See you all on August Bank Holiday weekend, starting Friday, 22 August, when they will all be on the bar.

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The pub, which is the reigning CAMRA UK National Pub of the Year has been announced as the Shropshire Pub of the Year and Shropshire Cider Pub of the Year in the latest round of the Pub of the Year competition.

Then at the Midland Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards night this Monday, landlady Grace Goodlad collected the award for Midlands Best Traditional Pub.

Grace said: “I was stunned and surprised to hear us being announced as the winners of the award, as always it is a testament to the great team we have.”

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We have five milds lined up. Left Handed Giant Brewpub Dark Mild 3.4%, Settle Scaleber Mild 3.8%, Brass Castle Hazelnut Mild 4.2% and two products of collaborations between Turning Point and Five Points, Five Points 1995 Mild 3.3% and Turning Point 1895 Mild 5.5%

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