Latest news with #GreatBritishPubCrawl
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Popular pub campaigner and YouTuber gives verdict on Black Country boozers
A POPULAR YouTuber and avid pub campaigner who travels up and down the country with his partner reviewing the nation's watering holes has given his verdict on his top Black Country boozers. Dale Harvey and his wife, Holly, run the Great British Pub Crawl, which has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media who are eagerly supporting the couple's mission to visit every pub in the UK. From London to Nottingham to Manchester and everywhere in between, the pair have been all over the country, but Dale told The News that the Black Country has something special about it. "It's just such a great area," he said. "The people are friendly, and it has two of the best, if not the best, breweries in the UK - Bathams and Black Country Ales. "It escapes people's radars, as people automatically think of Birmingham when in the West Midlands." On top of his high praise for the Black Country as a whole, Dale revealed his favourite town, and also his favourite boozer, which he has visited in the region. He said: "I've never had a bad day out in the Black Country, but Stourbridge is especially brilliant. "The selection of pubs in the Amblecote Triangle is truly great. "That crawl is a proper hidden gem. "Then, nearby over Brierley Hill way, The Delph Run never disappoints. "It was sad to hear about The Black Horse closing recently - all the stops on that route are great." But where did Dale crown his favourite pub in the Black Country? Here's what he said: Favourite pub: The Queen's Head, Wordsley "That place is out of this world," Dale said. "It has to be my number one." The Black Country Ales pub is a firm village favourite, with a classic interior, a nice beer garden and a great atmosphere. Honourable mention: The Vine 'AKA The Bull and Bladder', Brierley Hill Dale said: "Whatever you know it as, it is a phenomenal boozer." The Bull and Bladder has also recently been crowned not only The Telegraph's Best Pub in the West Midlands, but also the 2025 Dudley CAMRA Pub of the Year. Honourable mention: Severn Stars, Stourbridge Dale gave this Black Country Ales pub a special shout-out, and he is not the only one to have given it praise as of late. The Oldswinford drinking hole has been crowned the 2025 Stourbridge and Halesowen CAMRA Pub of the Year Honourable mention: The Court of Requests, Oldbury Despite being a Weatherspoons pub, which Dale said he does not often praise highly, he said The Court of Requests is truly unique. Set in an old courthouse, this pub has a rich historical character that makes it unlike any other pub in the region. It isn't just the pubs in the region that Dale has praise for. He said: "I have never been a cask ale drinker, but Batham's Best Bitter is undeniably good. "I would go as far as to say it is the best bitter in the world." Dale is planning a return to the Black Country in a couple of weeks, taking on Stourbridge for the third time in June.
Scottish Sun
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Britain's ‘cheapest pub' suddenly SHUTS after 500 years because owner ‘unhappy about photos of it being shared online'
SHUTTERS DOWN Britain's 'cheapest pub' suddenly SHUTS after 500 years because owner 'unhappy about photos of it being shared online' A PUB dubbed the "cheapest" in Britain has suddenly shut up shop after 500 years. Locals have been left shocked after the owners revealed a bizarre reason with a notice on the door. 3 The Abbey, Derby, posted the handwritten note on the door saying they were unhappy about photos of it being shared online. Credit: Google maps 3 The brewery operates 200 pubs across the UK and is known for it's strict rules from owner Humphrey Smith Credit: Google maps The Abbey, Derby, posted the handwritten note on the door saying they were unhappy about photos of it being shared online. The 22-word notice reads: "Closed!! "Due to someone posting pictures of the Abbey on social media. Sam Smith has taken the alcohol and closed these premises." Samuel Smith's Brewery owns the pub and it has been suggested the current landlords had broken policies and were dismissed as a result. The brewery operates 200 pubs across the UK and is known for it's strict rules from owner Humphrey Smith. Such rules include a no-swearing policy, no televisions or jukeboxes and a ban on the use of mobile phones or laptops in its public houses. Just days prior to the closure, a Facebook account with more than 125,000 followers posted 18 pictures of the pub, inside and out. The Great British Pub Crawl account, a page run by Dale Harvey and his wife, Holly, follows the couple as they attempt to visit every boozer in the UK. They posted the photos on Saturday, May 17 alongside the caption: "Not every day you are asked to grab photos or a video in a Sam Smith's pub." It's not clear whether the post was the reason behind the closure. The pub is one of the last surviving buildings from an extensive monastery, dating back to the 15th century. The sudden closure has left locals stunned, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment and confusion. While the brewery has offered no official explanation, insiders suggest the landlords were dismissed for allowing, or failing to prevent, photos of the pub being shared online, a clear breach of company policy. The closure marks yet another abrupt ending for a Samuel Smith's venue, following similar shutdowns in Bradford and London, and raises fresh questions about the brewery's management style and the long-term viability of its rule-heavy model in the digital age. The Abbey is far from the only British boozer pulling its last pint. A string of beloved pubs are closing their doors, with punters and landlords alike left heartbroken as pressures in the hospitality industry hit boiling point. In East London, the historic Gun pub in Homerton has shut down after 160 years of service. Once a bustling local favourite, the venue was brought back to life in 2014 following a major revamp by landlords Nick Stephens and his partner Hanna-Sinclair Stephens. Despite surviving the Covid crunch thanks to a heroic crowdfunding campaign that raised over £30,000 in a single day, the couple say the pub has now become 'unsustainable'. 'It was hugely popular, but we just couldn't keep going,' Nick said. 'The capacity was only 90 — the numbers just didn't add up anymore.' Meanwhile, in Nottingham, The Emerald, a vibrant Indian pub and sports bar, has also called time, just two years after opening. Dubbed a 'labour of love' by its owners, The Emerald quickly became a community favourite for curry lovers and cricket fans alike. But behind the scenes, soaring costs and the departure of a key business partner created what they described as 'emotional, financial and operational strain'. In a heartfelt post, they thanked loyal customers: 'The Emerald was always more than just a pub—it was a cultural space… Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.' Social media lit up with tributes from heartbroken regulars. One wrote: 'It was more like home to us. Watching India win the World Cup there was unforgettable.' And even award-winners haven't been spared, a Midlands pub, hailed as the region's best and a finalist for Desi Grill of the Year 2024, has also gone under, despite its short-lived success. The wave of closures paints a grim picture for the UK pub scene, already battered by the pandemic and now facing soaring prices for rent, business rates and barrels.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Britain's ‘cheapest pub' suddenly SHUTS after 500 years because owner ‘unhappy about photos of it being shared online'
A PUB dubbed the "cheapest" in Britain has suddenly shut up shop after 500 years. Locals have been left shocked after the owners revealed a bizarre reason with a notice on the door. 3 3 The Abbey, Derby, posted the handwritten note on the door saying they were unhappy about photos of it being shared online. The 22-word notice reads: "Closed!! "Due to someone posting pictures of the Abbey on social media. Sam Smith has taken the alcohol and closed these premises." Samuel Smith's Brewery owns the pub and it has been suggested the current landlords had broken policies and were dismissed as a result. The brewery operates 200 pubs across the UK and is known for it's strict rules from owner Humphrey Smith. Such rules include a no-swearing policy, no televisions or jukeboxes and a ban on the use of mobile phones or laptops in its public houses. Just days prior to the closure, a Facebook account with more than 125,000 followers posted 18 pictures of the pub, inside and out. The Great British Pub Crawl account, a page run by Dale Harvey and his wife, Holly, follows the couple as they attempt to visit every boozer in the UK. They posted the photos on Saturday, May 17 alongside the caption: "Not every day you are asked to grab photos or a video in a Sam Smith's pub." It's not clear whether the post was the reason behind the closure. The pub is one of the last surviving buildings from an extensive monastery, dating back to the 15th century. The sudden closure has left locals stunned, with many taking to social media to express their disappointment and confusion. While the brewery has offered no official explanation, insiders suggest the landlords were dismissed for allowing, or failing to prevent, photos of the pub being shared online, a clear breach of company policy. The closure marks yet another abrupt ending for a Samuel Smith's venue, following similar shutdowns in Bradford and London, and raises fresh questions about the brewery's management style and the long-term viability of its rule-heavy model in the digital age. The Abbey is far from the only British boozer pulling its last pint. A string of beloved pubs are closing their doors, with punters and landlords alike left heartbroken as pressures in the hospitality industry hit boiling point. In East London, the historic Gun pub in Homerton has shut down after 160 years of service. Once a bustling local favourite, the venue was brought back to life in 2014 following a major revamp by landlords Nick Stephens and his partner Hanna-Sinclair Stephens. Despite surviving the Covid crunch thanks to a heroic crowdfunding campaign that raised over £30,000 in a single day, the couple say the pub has now become 'unsustainable'. 'It was hugely popular, but we just couldn't keep going,' Nick said. 'The capacity was only 90 — the numbers just didn't add up anymore.' Meanwhile, in Nottingham, The Emerald, a vibrant Indian pub and sports bar, has also called time, just two years after opening. Dubbed a 'labour of love' by its owners, The Emerald quickly became a community favourite for curry lovers and cricket fans alike. But behind the scenes, soaring costs and the departure of a key business partner created what they described as 'emotional, financial and operational strain'. In a heartfelt post, they thanked loyal customers: 'The Emerald was always more than just a pub—it was a cultural space… Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.' Social media lit up with tributes from heartbroken regulars. One wrote: 'It was more like home to us. Watching India win the World Cup there was unforgettable.' And even award-winners haven't been spared, a Midlands pub, hailed as the region's best and a finalist for Desi Grill of the Year 2024, has also gone under, despite its short-lived success. The wave of closures paints a grim picture for the UK pub scene, already battered by the pandemic and now facing soaring prices for rent, business rates and barrels. 3
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
YouTuber visits 20 Southwark pubs in one day – finding some ‘absolute gems'
A YouTuber on a mission to visit every pub in the UK has ticked off 20 Southwark venues in a single day – calling several of them 'absolute gems' and praising the area for its rich mix of history, character and beer. Dale Harvey, the man behind The Great British Pub Crawl, is travelling the length and breadth of the country with his wife in a bid to visit every pub, bar, micropub, and social club that serves beer – and document the experience on YouTube and social media. On Tuesday (April 29), the Nottingham-based couple crossed the river for the first time in their London crawls, choosing Southwark as their starting point for a six-day tour of the capital's pub scene. Dale, who has now visited more than 5,700 pubs since launching the channel three years ago, described the Southwark leg as a day full of discovery. He said: 'I am south of the river for the first time on a London crawl and in the Southwark area. 'I headed across Borough Market, beneath London Bridge and all around the houses as I took in 20 pubs for the first of my six days on the road this week... finding some ABSOLUTE GEMS along the way.' Kicking off at The Barrowboy & Banker, a grand Fuller's pub near London Bridge Station, Dale worked his way through a mix of historic landmarks, riverside beer gardens, atmospheric cellars, and trendy craft beer joints – ending his night at St Christopher's Inn, a busy sports pub buzzing with football fans. His Southwark route took in some of the capital's best-known boozers, including The George Inn a 17th century coaching inn owned by the National Trust and The Anchor, which has stood on the Bankside since 1615 and features its own upstairs fish and chip shop. Dale said: 'The Anchor Bankside is a beauty. Always was, always will be somewhere that I will champion for people to come and see. 'Four floors, nooks and crannies everywhere, and a massive beer garden right on the river. What a pub.' He praised several Nicholson's pubs on the route, including The Mudlark and The Old Thameside Inn, for their historic charm and 'beautiful buildings'. He said: 'What can I really say about Nicholson's pubs that I've not said already? 'They always impress… very well run, beautiful buildings, and always a decent beer selection. This one [The Mudlark] was established in the mid-1700s and it looks great.' Other stops stood out for their uniqueness, like The Mug House, which Dale described as 'a traditional sort of port and ale house' that 'feels like it's built into caves'. He said: 'This is an experience in itself. Better come see this 100%. I'm really, really impressed.' (Image: Great British Pub Crawl) He also included newer venues like Bermondsey Bierkeller, The Rake and The Sheaf – the latter offering virtual darts, shuffleboard and sports screens, built into the railway arches. One of his favourite stops of the day was The Rose & Crown on Union Street, which came recommended by pub historian and author Thomas Flynn of Historic Pub Crawls. Dale said: 'A belter of an old pub now serving up excellent craft beers alongside some top cask ales. 'Probably one of my favourites so far today – certainly one of the best with the beer choices.' The day's journey also included quieter and more intimate spots like Tap & Bottle, a dimly lit first-floor wine bar, and The Boot & Flogger, which Dale said was 'more of a food-led place than a drinker's haunt' but still 'a really nice looking gaff'. Some pubs offered a glimpse into London's resilience and quirks. The Wheatsheaf, for example, famously lost its top floor when a railway bridge was built overhead, but survived by adapting into a two-storey building. Dale's trademark mix of humour and pub-geekery runs throughout his reviews, as he jokes about being 'beer-ed out' by pub number 12 and pokes fun at chains for labelling standard lagers as 'craft beer'. He wrapped up the day at St Christopher's Inn, where he found a busy crowd watching Arsenal in the Champions League and said the venue had 'a decent buzz'. After clocking in all 20 stops, Dale was quick to praise Southwark as a highlight of the project so far: 'There are still LOADS of great places to explore in that borough!' he said. His crawl was documented in a YouTube video titled A Mega Pub Crawl Around Southwark London Borough Market, available on his channel Dale has also started a petition urging the Government to step in and support independent pubs. It calls for action on rising business rates, increased wage costs and other pressures facing the sector. At the time of publication, the petition had 2,795 signatures — with an official Government response triggered at 10,000. It remains open until October. The petition states: 'We feel without Government assistance, independent breweries and pubs cannot swallow the hikes in business rates, the living wage and rising operating costs. 'Pubs are the backbone of our communities and vital in maintaining mental health and social interaction in many communities across the UK.' All 20 Southwark pubs Dale visited: The Barrowboy & Banker The Mug House Bermondsey Bierkeller The Mudlark The Old Thameside Inn The Anchor Bankside The Rake The Market Porter The Wheatsheaf The Southwark Tap The Globe Tavern The Bunch Of Grapes The Old King's Head The George Inn The Bridge Tap The Sheaf The Boot & Flogger Rose & Crown Tap & Bottle St Christopher's Inn
BBC News
18-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'I've drank in 5,000 pubs and I'm not stopping here'
A former pub landlord says he has visited more than 5,000 watering holes across the nation - in an effort to boost the British pub Harvey, from Nottingham, set off on a challenge to visit every pub in the UK about three years ago as part of "the Great British Pub Crawl".Since then, the 44-year-old says he has visited 5,077 boozers - more than 500 of which he said had since closed said he hoped the "journey like no other" would not only "put money in tills", but encourage other people to go to a pub they might not have visited before. Joined on his travels by partner Holly Booth, 32, Mr Harvey chronicles his trips on social media, where he shares selfies outside the pubs he visits on a daily basis. He said: "We got really tired of going around and seeing good pub buildings closed down and all boarded up, so we said as a hobby let's see how many pubs we can get round."All I wanted to do is set out on the mission to try and visit as many pubs as we could and put a bit of money in their tills."It's become my full time job now; I'm out doing it four days a week. I will keep going until there's no more pubs left to visit which hopefully will never be the case because there's new ones opening all the time!"Mr Harvey's venture started off as the Great Nottinghamshire Pub Crawl in March 2022, but he extended the challenge nationwide after conquering every inn in the said big breweries and large companies were partly to blame for the closure of pubs, and said companies that run pub chains need to do more to help the people running them. "I went into the pub trade when I was 16 years old," Mr Harvey said. "I've been in and around pubs ever since and I know that as a landlord and a licensee it becomes your entire way of life."It's such a shame for people who have done everything to create a great community hub to just lose it."Pubs are more than places to drink alcohol, they are the heartbeat of the community. If we lose the British pub, it would be catastrophic."Last year, the British Beer and Pub Association revealed that landlords make 12p profit per pint, with the average price of a pint of draught lager costing £4.79 in, according to the Office for National Harvey said the crawl, which has become his full-time job, would not stop until "there are no more pubs left to visit"."It's the best job in the world," he added. "I get to meet people and explore places I'd never even knew existed before I started. I can't wait to keep on going!"
