Pubs that serve gourmet food, dog-friendly pubs, quirky pubs, cosy pubs and the AA Pub of the Year award-winners – they’re all in The Pub Guide 2020.
The 21st edition of the guide features 2,000 establishments from around the UK, all chosen for their atmosphere, good beer and great food. The pubs deemed to be extra special are singled out for ‘pick of the pubs’ sections.
Among the guide editors’ best pubs are:
The Bricklayer’s Arms, Hemel Hempstead
According to the AA, it has an ‘immaculate interior’
The Bricklayer’s Arms in Hemel Hempstead is best known for its ivy-covered facade.
And according to the AA, it also has an ‘immaculate interior with low beams, exposed brickwork, open fires and candlelight’.
The establishment, which is also a ‘pick of the pubs’, evolved from early 18th century cottages that Benskin’s Brewery part-converted into an alehouse in 1832.
Further conversions of the building took place in the 1970s and, more recently, the barn became a restaurant.
The Bricklayer’s Arms also boasts an AA rosette for its food and offers traditional English and French cooking.
It has nearly 140 wines and champagnes on offer.
The Fleece Inn, Worcestershire
The Fleece Inn in Worcestershire also gets the honour of being a ‘pick of the pubs’.
It’s just a stone’s throw from the Cotswolds in Worcestershire and is described as an ‘inn steeped in history’.
The pub dates back more than 500 years and was owned by the same family until 1977 when it was bequeathed to the National Trust.
According to the AA, the ‘beautifully timbered building remains largely unchanged’.
However, it had to be skilfully restored in 2004 following a devastating fire.
The Fleece Inn also has chalk-drawn ‘witch circles’ on the floor in front of each fire to ‘prevent witches entering through the chimneys’.
Kirkstile Inn, Cumbria
Another top pick is the Kirkstile Inn in Cockermouth, Cumbria.
It is set among woods, fells and lakes and has an ‘authentic, traditional and well-looked after feel’.
According to the AA, the interior has ‘whitewashed walls, low beams, solid polished tables and a well-stoked fire’.
There is even the odd horse harness ‘to remind you of times gone by’.
The AA recommends three of its ales – Loneswater Gold, Grassmoor Dark Ale and Esthwaite Bitter – that are all brewed in Cumbria.
The Kirkstile Inn also offers ‘wholesome dishes to satisfy the most hearty appetites’.
The Hind’s Head, Berkshire
The guide also singles out pubs that are a must-visit for foodies. These get the honour of AA rosettes.
One of them is The Hind’s Head in Bray, Berkshire, which is owned by celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal.
It boasts three AA rosettes as well as a Michelin star.
According to the AA guide, ‘Heston elaborates on original British cuisine, reintroducing classic recipes from the pub’s Tudor roots’.
Dishes on the menu include hash of snails, kidney pudding and bone-in sirloin of veal or oxtail.
The AA adds: ‘This establishment has become, not surprisingly, a gastronomic destination, yet the striking 15th-century building remains very much a village local.’
Shibden Mill Inn, West Yorkshire
The Shibden Mill Inn in Halifax, West Yorkshire, is the proud owner of two AA Rosettes.
The AA guide says that the pub ‘attracts those who enjoy excellent food prepared by trusted local growers and suppliers’.
It adds: ‘The Shibden’s focus is on customer enjoyment and the menu leaves no room for disappointment.’
The pub is housed inside a 17th-century building that was formerly a spinning mill until the late 1880s.
Now its interior consists of ‘open fires, oak beams, small windows and heavy tiles’.
It also boasts a beer garden and ‘luxury bedrooms’.
King’s Arms Inn, Rutland
Another pub singled out for fodder is the King’s Arms Inn in Oakham, Rutland.
It has two AA rosettes and is home to Jimmy’s Rutland Smokehouse – known for its smoked and cured fish and meats.
Dishes on the menu include steamed mussels, baked duck egg and Grasmere belly pork.
The King’s Arms Inn offers bar snacks of biltong and home-smoked cashew nuts.
It also makes its own sloe gin, elderflower vodka and mulled wine.
But the AA warns: ‘Don’t overlook its real ales and ciders, and a bin-ends blackboard of fine and speciality wines.’
The Boat Inn, Northamptonshire
The Boat Inn is located in Stoke Bruerne, in Northamptonshire.
It sits right by the Grand Union Canal and is described as ‘standing out at the heart of the canal system’.
The pub, which is directly opposite the National Canal Museum, is full of ‘old photos, paintings and ephemera’.
The AA also says it has ‘a wide choice of beers will satisfy a thirst, whilst food can be enjoyed in its bars, bistro or elegant restaurant’.
Popular dishes include fillet of sea bass with balsamic stir-fried vegetables and slow-cooked rump of lamb.
The Cawdor Tavern, Nairn
TheCawdor Tavern in Nairn, close to Inverness, is also included in this year’s guide.
The AA says its bars, which were created in the Cawdor Estate’s joinery workshop in the 1960s, have a ‘baronial feel’.
In fact, the lounge bar’s panelling came from Cawdor Castle’s dining room as a gift from a former laird.
The Cawdor Tavern is praised for its ‘impressive choice’ of Orkney Brewery beers and Highlands and Islands malts.
The AA adds: ‘Pretty, wooded countryside slides away from the pub, offering umpteen opportunities for rambles and challenging cycle routes.’
The Royal Seven Stars Hotel, Totnes, Devon
According to the AA, the Royal Seven Stars Hotel in Totnes, Devon, should be applauded for its ‘welcoming atmosphere and friendly service’.
It is located inside a Grade II-listed 17th century building overlooking the bridge over the River Dart.
The AA says it has two character bars and even a grand ballroom.
One of the bars is the saloon, where locals traditionally gather and where a ‘log fire chucks out the heat in the cooler months’.
The other is the more contemporary Bar 7, which has ‘slate floors and comfy leather sofas’.
TheBoat House, Shropshire
The Boat House in Shrewsbury has a huge riverside terrace and a ‘beamed, rambling airy interior’
The Boat House in Shrewsbury gets a thumbs up for its huge riverside terrace and ‘beamed, rambling airy interior’.
It is a ‘half-timbered’ retreat located on a loop on the River Severn.
The AA praises the pub for its real ales from Shropshire’s best microbreweries and its dishes from the grill that feature local produce.
It describes The Boat House as having ‘riverside ambience and serious Shropshire fare’.
Britannia Inn, Swansea
Located in Llanmadoc in Swansea, the Britannia Inn also makes this year’s AA guide.
According to the AA, the pub has a ‘whitewashed and flower-bedecked exterior’ along with a terrace that boasts ‘lovely views’.
Inside there is ‘chunky, modern wooden furniture and beamed ceilings’.
The Britannia Inn’s food offering focuses on regional dishes and the menu includes Glamorgan leek sausages and Swansea smoked salmon.
Chequers Inn, Norfolk
Straddling south Norfolk and north Suffolk, the Chequers Inn in Breckland is a long and low, thatched 17th-century pub.
During the 18th century, the building was a manorial court dealing with issues relating to rent, letting of the land and petty crime.
Now it boasts a long bar serving a range of real ales and other tipples.
According to the AA, the interior of the Chequers Inn has ‘skew-whiff wall timbers, squat doorways and rustic old furniture’.
Outside there are picnic tables in the rear garden, where dogs are welcome.
Charles Bathurst Inn, North Yorkshire
The Charles Bathurst Inn is an 18th-century pub located in Richmond, North Yorkshire.
It takes its name from the son of Oliver Cromwell’s physician, who built the pub for his workers in what was a once busy lead mining area.
The AA has awarded the inn its ‘pick of the pubs’ accolade saying it boasts ‘spectacular dale scenery’.
Its menu is described as boasting ‘English classics and modern European dishes’ and the wine list is praised as being ‘excellent’.
