Pub News

For the second year running two North Shropshire venues are in the final four of the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) Business Awards in the Best Independent Beer Bar or Pub – Rural category.

Many congratulations to the Bailey Head in Oswestry, as it’s just been announced that it’s won CAMRA’s national Pub of the Year competition. It beat three other finalists to become CAMRA’s best real ale pub in the country.

The Fox at Ryton near Dorrington has been closed for about a year and a half. A community group called Friends of The Fox has been raising funds to purchase the pub, and have finally been awarded a Government grant from the Communities Ownership Fund.

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 Crown Inn at Wentnor near Bishops Castle is due to open again at the end of September. The pub has been closed for a short while

The Bailey Head pub in Oswestry has won the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) West Midlands Regional Pub of the Year 2024 and now goes into the round of 17 for the National Pub of the Year award.

The pub, owned by husband and wife team Duncan Borrowman and Grace Goodlad, has won numerous CAMRA awards in the eight and half years since it opened has never gone this far in the Pub of the Year competition. It narrowly beat the Tamworth Tap, which has won the National competition the last two years running. This is just a few weeks after it won the CAMRA West Midlands Cider Pub of the Year competition.

Magic Dragon brewery from Plassey, just outside our branch’s northern border, have opened up a tap house in Whitchurch called the Crafty Dragon. 

The Horse and Jockey at Northwood near Wem reopened on the 20th December under community ownership after being closed for over a year. The community team have worked extremely hard to get the pub to this stage, and need everyone’s support now that the pub is open, so please call in and have a pint if you are in the area.

Just outside our branch area in the Telford and East Shropshire CAMRA region, the Falcon Inn in Hinstock has just reopened under community ownership, after a year of extensive renovations.

The Kangaroo Inn in Aston-on-Clun is having their annual beer festival on bank holiday weekend on the 25th to 28th of August.