News

Bailey Head, Oswestry

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has announced the four finalists in its prestigious Pub of the Year 2024 competition, one of which is the Bailey Head in Oswestry. 

The Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) have also named the Bailey Head as the UK’s Best Rural Independent Craft Beer Pub or Bar in 2020, and it has been a finalist for the same award many times since. Grace, Duncan, and their team also organise regular tap takeovers and meet the brewer events for the local community.

Landlord Duncan Borrowman said: “To say we are shocked to make it into the final four is an understatement. I am not sure we will ever stop pinching ourselves. It is a testament to our hard-working small team of dedicated staff and our loyal regulars.”

Landlady Grace Goodlad said: “When we bought the pub nearly nine years ago, we never dreamt this could happen. It had been failing under the ownership of a major pub company and CAMRA had it protected as an Asset of Community Value. We couldn’t have done this without that happening.”

Shelly Bentley, West Midlands Regional Director for CAMRA, said:

“A huge congratulations is in order to all at the Bailey Head who have put in the phenomenally hard work to achieve this accolade. I applaud Duncan and Grace’s passion to delivering an exceptional range of beers for their customers, who are very clearly at the centre of Bailey Head’s heart.

“The journey from a tired pub that needed an Asset of Community Value protection, to now achieving Super Regional Pub of the Year is astounding. This is certainly reflected in Duncan, Grace and the rest of the team’s devotion to deliver great beer to their local community, and I hope regulars and new visitors alike will be raising a toast to them all during their next visit.”

Everyone is invited to the presentation of the Bailey Head’s finalists certificate at 1pm on Saturday, 23 November. The bar will feature three collaboration cask beers the Bailey Head are brewing with Riverhead (Ossett), Castle Rock and Stonehouse. These will be “One Day”, a 4.7% West Coast IPA brewed with local Stonehouse Brewery, “Wild Flower”, a 4.2% Hazy Pale brewed with Osset brewery in Yorkshire, and “Super Creeps”, a 4.5% sister beer to Scary Monster from Castle Rock Brewery in Nottingham.West Coast IPA brewed with local Oswestry brewery, Stonehouse