IF you think Britain’s best pub can be found on a posh high street in London, you would be sorely mistaken.
Instead, the crown jewel of UK boozers is located in Tamworth, a town about 14 miles north of Birmingham – that many have never heard of.
Aptly named the Tamworth Tap, this unsuspecting spot has been voted the National Pub of the Year for two years running.
The award is handed out by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and is deemed the organisation’s highest achievement.
Despite only being open for five years, the business has been praised for not only its booze but its efforts to bring the local community together.
I made the hour-and-a-half journey from London to visit the haunt myself to see what the hype was about.
You will need to walk through an unspectacular high street filled with boarded-up shops to reach the Tap, and if you want to visit on a weekday don’t expect to get through the door before 4pm.
Founder George Greenaway tells me this is done to better suit his 12 staff members, who will get to clock off at around 10pm tonight.
On the weekends, the business runs on a more traditional schedule opening at noon and closing at 11pm on a Saturday and 8pm on a Sunday.
George says: “There are plenty of pubs that are open during the day around the town..we wanted to be a little bit more exclusive than that.”
If you are a footy fan or keen to hear the latest chart music, then you also might want to think twice.
The pub has no television screens to show sports and George says the music in the Tap is strictly from the 1960s, 70s, 80s or maybe 2000s at a push.
There is no denying the vintage feel to this pub.
It is set within a 16th-century building, which George transformed himself on a self-funded budget after he left his job in IT.
Adding to this, the walls are decorated with vintage Belgium beer artwork, which he picked up second-hand from places like eBay.
The European country has inspired a lot of the aspects of the Tap, including making sure the correct beer is served in matching glass.
This has appeared to pay off, we are only chatting for about 20 minutes before the entire ground floor of the Tap has filled up with locals.
After another half an hour passes, the second floor has a smattering of customers, some of the capital’s best pubs would not draw much of a crowd on a weekday so I was very impressed.
Top beers on tap
The Tamworth Tap is the dream pub for any craft ales and IPA’ fans.
On draught, there is a varied selection of ales, including Tam’s Jaipur and White Rat, which is a welcomed break from the typical Coors or Heniken.
The pub regularly stocks beers that are hard to find in your typical boozer across the UK.
George says he’s often found a queue of travellers lined up outside of the pub before opening to try one of their rare ales, such as Bathams which can only be found in the Black Country.
“It’s a pilgrimage to a lot of real ale enthusiasts,” he explains.
In terms of price, a pint of ale will set you back £4.20 and if you want a snack to accompany like a homemade sausage roll it will cost £3.
Paying £7.20 for a drink and snack seems reasonably priced especially when you are used to handing over that for a drink alone in the capital.
Obviously, if you went to a larger chain such as Wetherspoons it would be a lot cheaper but the welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff are worth the difference in a few quid.
The pub also has a board clearly displaying prices of pints for customers, which I thought was a nice touch.
But, there is so much more to the Tamworth Tap than its drinks selection.
Hidden feature
Outside, it boasts a large garden area which has a stage and a cinema screen, which displays retro movies in the summer.
This is all set behind a stunning view of Tamworth Castle, which peaks out behind the walls of the pub.
Getting a glimpse of the historic Norman palace is reason enough to visit the Tap.
When the weather is warmer, the stage is also used to host its regular Sunday live music sessions, which are performed by local talent.
It is just a few of the ways George has worked to bring the local community together, alongside hosting comedy nights and art classes at the pub.
Visiting from a major city like London, it was refreshing to see an establishment that had originality and not just another cookie-cutter chain.
Locals are very lucky to have not only a great pub on their doorstep but also a place they can socialise and make friends.
If I ever happen to find myself in Tamworth again, I would happily pay it another visit.
