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Tina McLaren, who runs the Old Ship Inn, Perth, was named the Greene King Pub of the Year at the Great British Pub Awards last week (23 September) during a glittering ceremony at the First National Arena in Leeds.
The award was the culmination of nearly two decades of graft which has seen Tina carve out an outstanding reputation for her pub, with a gin offer than puts many pubs to shame, alongside a cask beer range which has won her notice from the likes of CAMRA and real ale lovers across the country.
Award-winning operation
That exceptional focus on cask beer has seen the Old Ship Inn named CAMRA’s Perth City Pub of the Year for four years running and the overall Tayside Pub of the Year in 2026 as well.
Previously a winner with Greene King, who named her operation Beer Pub of the Year at their own Night of Excellence awards, she’s now gone on to take the overall company title in The Morning Advertiser’s prestigious Great British Pub Awards.
The pub itself, which is entirely wet-led, is one of the oldest in the city and dates back to 1665, but Tina has not sat back and relied on the history and the heritage of the building.
Tiny but perfectly formed
A recent extensive refurbishment of the city has given the bar, which is tiny with just 40 covers, a fresh new look, alongside investment into the pubs toilets to create what might just be the best ladies loos in the UK.
This is a small but perfectly formed pub that is punching well above its weight and has quite rightly seen off impressive competition from some exceptional pubs within the Greene King estate.
Judges described the operation as being as close to perfection as a pub can get and is doing the kind of business that would put much larger pubs to shame, and all out of a tiny, but perfectly formed, wet led venue in a side street in Perth.
