Blind Jack’s, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
Run by Christian and Alice Ogley for eight years, Blind Jack’s has hit new levels of trade in the past 12 months following a full refurb over two floors that makes the most of this characterful 400-year-old building on Knaresborough’s town square.
Aiming to provide something for everyone, a range of five cask and 10 craft beers on draught are served from its tiny bar, attracting a diverse crowd and creating a great community feel, while a digital loyalty scheme keeps them coming back for more.
Cask Pub & Kitchen, Pimlico, London
The first pub in the Craft Beer Company group, established in 2009 by Martyn Hayes and Peter Slezak, Cask was a pioneer of craft beer in the UK and continues to innovate today.
Alongside a strong range of well-kept cask ales, the craft options on tap have increased to 22, double-banked on the bar, while hundreds of packaged beers are listed and described in a fat menu on every table and a selection of rare, aged brews are showcased in the pub’s new Vintage Cellar collection. Original beer-themed artworks are another eye-catching addition.
Bowland Beer Hall, Clitheroe, Lancashire
Housed in a former mill with its steam engine retained as a unique feature of this spectacular space, an equally spectacular range of beers, including cask ales from the Bowland Brewery visible behind a glass screen at the back, are served from one of the longest island bars in the country.
General manager Dan Johnson has noticeably raised standards in his time at the helm, and expanded the offer into more adventurous beer styles, too, growing the business substantially with the help of events and two new outdoor bars.
Granville’s Beer & Gin House, Horsforth, Leeds
Part of the Professionals at Play group, Granville’s is a bright and cheery little neighbourhood beer café with a pretty garden and a warm welcome in one of the wealthier quarters of north Leeds.
General manager Grace Atha, who also runs sibling bar Reuben’s in Bingley, has built beer sales at this all-wet venue by working with Yorkshire brewers to develop the range and by delivering beer education among a diverse variety of customers. Staff are always ready to talk to the curious about beer, cask and craft, with numbered taps prompting the conversation.
Riverhead Brewery Tap, Marsden, West Yorkshire
In a pleasing spot by the River Colne, Salt Beer Factory’s expanded and refurbished Riverhead Brewery Tap now showcases a microbrewery and serves its ales from a bar bristling with almost every style of beer, cask and craft, including some interesting collabs.
An enthusiastic team, well-educated in beer, is poised to guide the visitor through the choices while the pub also keeps its loyal band of regulars happy.
And outside you can sip your beer on a waterside terrace while upstairs there are bao buns for the peckish.
Tamworth Tap, Tamworth, Staffordshire
Owner George Greenaway hasn’t slackened in his passion for the business that was named Best Pub for Beer at the 2024 Awards, and the beer range has continued to grow, with more craft styles attracting a younger, more diverse audience to this characterful pub nestled against the ancient walls of Tamworth’s castle.
There’s a Belgian beer café in one corner and the pub brews its own ales on site, too, while events in the award-winning garden are another attraction, and upstairs rooms are home to many local community activities.
