A trio of Burton pubs are raising a glass to success after making a triumphant entry to this year’s coveted Good Beer Guide.
Landlords at The Last Heretic, Derby Inn and the Fuggle and Nugget have been awarded the prestigious honour of appearing in this year’s guide after making an impressive impact on inspectors, who included six pubs from South Derbyshire, 12 from Burton and Uttoxeter into the 2018 edition of the pub lovers' bible.
The Good Beer Guide, which is in its 45th edition, is a fully revised and updated guide that recommends pubs in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and offshore islands that serve the best real ale, judged by members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
The entry is a first for Pete Spittles who opened the Last Heretic in Station Street, in May last year.
Pete previously worked as airline cabin crew so has made a great leap into the pub industry and it is already paying off.
Aged 50, he said he got notification of the accolade two weeks ago.
He said: "I had no idea. I wasn’t even aware that I was up for it. They must have come in at some stage but I think it is much better that way than getting the chance to prepare for it. It shows that the experience is like that all year round.
"It is a great achievement as I have only been in the industry for a year or so. I worked for an airline before as cabin crew, which is different in some ways but it is still customer service.
"I think the way micro-pubs are going is great. They offer a range of beers and there is more freedom to go and source local beers, while mainstream pubs can focus on other beers.
"There are three micro-pubs in Burton and I think this reflects the popularity of micro-pubs to see two out of three in this guide and it helps put Burton on the map.
"We have a great football team and with venues such as the National Brewery Centre attracting supporters, we have a great opportunity showcase our beers, people can have a couple and then might end up coming back for a weekend.
"Burton has got a lot to offer on the beer front and it is the home of brewing, it is what the town is famous for so I am proud to be part of that."
Shaun Rose and his partner Jane Laws will celebrate two years of opening and running the Fuggle and Nugget in November. The pair hoped they would be entered into the guide and are chuffed to be included this year.
The duo, who are both 53 and live on a boat, said the business, which is in High Street, is going really well.
Shaun, said: "We were hoping that we would get in but we had no idea so we are really happy. I think micro-pubs are growing in popularity because you get such a variation, some have bars and others don’t; they are quite unique."
In an effort to maintain a social atmosphere, the Fuggle and Nugget operates a table service and does not feature televisions, music and gaming machines.
Lagers are also out, in favour of cask ales, but the real star of the pub is the Kentish seating. A type of seat which featured in the first ever micro-pub in the country, the Butchers Arms, the high-seated benches are strategically placed to allow for those not lucky enough to grab a seat, to not feel left out.
To celebrate their two-year anniversary later this year, Shaun and Jane will be hosting a beer festival from November 16 November 18.
The Derby Inn, which is located on Derby Road in the town, is also featured for the first time and tenants Lee Betts and his wife Rachel are over the moon after enduring some hard times recently.
Lee, 47, said "it has been a hard slog" but the pub is "going from strength to strength."
He said: "When management of the small micro-brewery at the pub left suddenly last November, we decided to take it on as our own in a bid to save it.
"This is the first time I have tenanted a pub, although I have worked in them before so it is all very new but it is all very exciting.
"It has taken us a while to get there but we are over the moon. Getting in the Good Beer Guide is something we have been aiming for for the last two years.
"It is based solely on the quality of beers so it is quite an honour and out of 50,000 pubs in the UK only 4,500 make it in the guide.
"I think our entry is really well deserved because it is hard work keeping the beers and the pub at a high standard. It has been a hard slog but things are definitely looking up and the pub is going from strength to strength.
"Hopefully we will continue to provide high quality beers and stay in the Good Beer Guide and I am hoping that people that follow the book will come and visit us."
The Good Beer Guide is the original independent guide to good beer and good pubs.
The guide is researched by unpaid and independent volunteers across the UK with every pub featured in the guidebook visited at least once for assessment. It is the UK's best-selling beer and pub guide based on combined trade and direct sales.
The Good Beer Guide is now on sale and available to purchase for £12.99 at https://shop.camra.org.uk/goodbeerguide2018.html
What the Good Beer Guide had to say about these pubs
Derby Inn
Timothy Taylor Golden Best, Boltmaker; 2 changing beers (sourced nationally)
Friendly Victorian two-roomed local, situated towards the northern edge of the town. Very much a community pub, it offers a step back in time to a more relaxed pace of life. Popular with football supporters on match days, the pub is en route between the railway station and Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium. Evening meals, with limited choice, are available only on Wednesdays (type varies) and Saturdays (usually curries). Cheesy Quiz Night is on Tuesday, and live music is played on the second and fourth Friday of the month.
Fuggle & Nugget
4 changing beers (sourced regionally)
Cosy single-room micropub on the ground floor of a Grade II-listed end-terrace building, featuring plain bench seating and high tables around the periphery, with a small raised area under the shopstyle windows. The plain wood floor gives way to original red quarry tiles towards the rear, adjacent to the separate cask stillage room, visible through a window. Current and impending beers, plus ciders and perries, are listed on blackboards. There is no bar, so customers are cheerfully served at their tables. Note the unusual Gents’ keg urinal!
Last Heretic
4 changing beers (sourced regionally)
Smart micropub in a terrace of commercial properties close to the station, named after Edward Wightman, a resident of Burton, who was the last person in England to be executed for heresy. The comfortable single room features a small bar counter towards the rear, with the stillage visible through a glass door and window. Available beers (occasionally up to six) and up to five ciders and perries are listed on boards near the bar. Outdoor drinking is in a narrow yard at the rear. Opening hours are reduced in January and February.
