Pub fanatic and author Phil Mellows has backed the Daily Mirror’s Your Pub Needs You campaign as he reveals his top list of boozers to visit across the UK this summer
Pub-fanatic Phil Mellows is definitely not a newbie when it comes to finding the best pubs in the UK. The author, 68, has dedicated a whole book to his favourite boozers, titled Beer Breaks in Britain: 30 Places to Explore and Drink Good Beer.
Publicans from an eclectic mix of Britain’s top pubs featured in the guide have backed The Mirror’s campaign to save the great British pub. Head judge for The Publican Awards and the Great British Pub Awards, Phil, of Brighton, backs our calls for a fighting fund for pubs, saying: “The Mirror’s campaign is essential, if we are going to keep this important part of our national heritage – the great British pub.
“The Government must take specific action and do so right now. With rising costs coming down the line, the months ahead will prove critical to the future of pubs. Many operators already say they are going to have to cut staffing and reduce their opening hours to survive.”
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In his book, beer-lover Phil has revealed his top 10 pubs in the UK to enjoy a pint, perfect for Brits looking for a staycation this summer…
Fanny’s Ale House, Saltaire, West Yorkshire
Grandson to an East End publican, Phil, who co-wrote his book with journalist Kate Simon, says no beer lover’s trip to Saltaire, near Shipley, would be complete without a visit to Fanny’s Ale House.
Housed, in a former police station, complete with blue lamp, and serving up to nine mostly Yorkshire cask beers, the pub is run by Simon Bradly and his wife Kirsten.
Simon says: “Life can be tough in this trade but we struggle on because our pub is a community area where people come in during the week to unwind. Whether that’s to read a book, play chess with the chess club, mix with friends, sit in peace or listen to music in a warm friendly environment.”
Farmer’s Arms, Lowick Green, Cumbria
Phil says this community-owned pub in Lowick Green is the kind of place “you can happily get lost in”.
A pub, combined with a café, an exhibition space, a craft workshop, a live music venue and a place to stay, with two self-catering apartments, Adam Sutherland who runs the pub says: “The Farmer’s Arms has a pottery, productive gardens, a woodshed and a hire vehicle. It’s also a sales point for local farms, a space for community gatherings and celebrations and a music and arts venue.”
Burton Bridge Inn, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
In 1822, Burton was where the first commercially brewed India Pale Ale was produced by Samuel Allsopp. Burton Bridge Inn is home to the town’s smallest brewery, which even has its own skittle alley.
Head brewer Al Wall says: “We are extremely passionate about the beers that we produce on site and there is no better place to drink them than the Burton Bridge Inn, which is so steeped in history.”
Fat Cat, Norwich
Hosting the annual month long City of Ale Festival from May 22, Norwich has a proud beer drinking heritage – to which Phil says the Fat Cat is central.
“It’s one of the nation’s great beer pubs, full of character and splendid brews,” he says.
Landlord Colin Keatley, who is worried about changes to National Insurance and minimum wage, says: “We are a traditional victorian style street-corner ‘boozer’ and don’t play music, show sports or serve food. People come here simply to talk to each other and drink good beer.”
Dyffryn Arms, Pontfaen, Pembrokeshire
Phil says the highlight of any beer lover’s trip to this area has to be the Dyffryn Arms, despite it serving only one draught ale.
Better known as Bessie’s, it’s somebody’s front room rather than a pub – a throwback to the beerhouses of the 19th century. Service is through a hatch and the beer, always Bass, is poured straight from the cask into a jug, before being decanted into your glass.
“Sadly, Bessie Davies died aged 94 at the end of 2023, having run the place for 70 years,” Phil says. “Her family is now keeping her very special legacy alive.”
Fez, Margate. Kent
With its trendy image, thanks to residents like Tracey Emin, Margate’s pubs are varied and plentiful.
Phil says “Fez is a must-visit, a micropub done up as a bizarre bazaar. Every inch of the walls is smothered in old advertising signs, brightly coloured bric-a-brac and memorabilia.”
Phil Evans, 57, who runs Fez and is still paying back a Covid loan, worries about soaring costs.
He says: “I had to find another £1,900 a month on top of the existing bills. My electricity bill went from £236 to over £800 overnight! We’ve had to put our prices up – our card machine costs us nearly £600 a month.”
Laurieston Bar, Glasgow
Phil says: “Before you leave Glasgow, you must take time to go to the Lauriston Bar, just across the Clyde from the city centre. It’s an almost unspoilt 1960s pub, attracting film crews, and has assumed a cult status with its red Formica-topped tables surrounding an island bar, its jukebox and its Scotch pies.”
Joseph Clancy who helps run the pub, backs the Mirror’s campaign. He says: “It’s the social aspect of pubs that people would miss – especially older folk.”
Star Inn, Bath
Top of Phil’s list of historic Bath pubs is the Star Inn. Visitors to its four wood-panelled rooms, gathered around a central bar, get a complimentary pinch of snuff. “Sitting there with your pint, or enjoying a game of shove ha’penny, you could be in another time,” Phil says.
Beerwolf Books, Falmouth, Cornwall
Both a pub and a bookshop, Beerwolf Books is unique.
Phil says: “Walk up a flight of stairs off Falmouth’s main shopping street and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a well-stocked library. Turn around, and you’ll see the bar, with a half-dozen cask pumps and a good selection of craft beers on the taps. Plenty of seating, too, for you to drink and read.”
Royal Oak, Borough, London
A beautifully restored Victorian corner house in historic Borough, Phil says this is the perfect venue for a pint before a wander to historic Borough Market and beyond to Bermondsey Beach, which is revealed at low tide.
Phil, who is on the board of the British Guild of Beer Writers, describes it as “immediately recognisable from countless TV cop shows as the place where murder victims wash up”.
Beer Breaks in Britain: 30 Places to Explore and Drink Good Beer by Phil Mellows and Kate Simon is out now priced £20.
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