What a night! On Wednesday 14th October, we brought together our landlords, tenants and teams from across the Joule’s estate for our annual Taphouse Awards, hosted at The Stag in Market Drayton.

It’s one of our favourite evenings of the year. A chance to get everyone together, catch up over a pint and, most importantly, celebrate the people who make our pubs what they are.

From great beer and brilliant food to live music, community events and the people who go the extra mile, there was plenty to recognise this year.

And while there were lots of awards to hand out, there could only be one Taphouse of the Year…

Taphouse of the Year 2026: The Duke of York, Lichfield!

A huge congratulations to Andy and Leanne at the Duke of York in Lichfield, our Joule’s Taphouse of the Year 2026!

Andy and Leanne have been part of the Joule’s family for many years and know their pub and its community incredibly well.

It’s been a particularly exciting year for the Duke of York, with the pub undergoing a major refurbishment and reopening in March. Andy and Leanne have embraced this next chapter, bringing their experience, enthusiasm and knowledge of their customers to the newly refurbished pub.

Their hard work has certainly paid off, with the Duke of York also winning Joule’s Seasonal Flagship on the night.

Vicky Colclough, Managing Director of Joule’s Brewery, said:

“Taphouse of the Year is a very special award for us, and Andy and Leanne are thoroughly deserving winners. They’ve been part of the Joule’s family for many years and know their pub and its community incredibly well. This year has been particularly exciting for the Duke of York, with the refurbishment giving the pub a new lease of life, and Andy and Leanne have really made the most of it. They’ve worked so hard to make the Duke of York the success it is today, and it’s wonderful to see that recognised. To take home both Taphouse of the Year and Seasonal Flagship is a fantastic achievement, and we’re absolutely delighted for them.”

Well done, Andy and Leanne. We couldn’t be happier for you both!

Here’s to a Great Pint

It wouldn’t be a Joule’s awards evening without celebrating the beer!

Our Best Pint award went to the Angel Inn in Lichfield, following a public vote. A huge thank you to everyone who voted and, of course, congratulations to the team at the Angel.

Crown Wharf in Stone took home Draymen’s Choice, while the Cock Inn in Leek and Market Vaults in Tamworth shared the Cellarmanship award.

We also celebrated the pubs championing our individual beers:

Our Top Tap Champions were Boldmere Tap, Crown Wharf, New Inn Newport, Old Town Hall Vaults and Red Lion Market Drayton.

And it wasn’t just beer in the spotlight. Chris Turner and the Red Lion Market Drayton received the Château Bessan Ambassador award, celebrating their support for our wine range.

Celebrating Beer Growth

We also celebrated some fantastic growth in beer sales this year, recognising the pubs that have really got behind our cask and cold beer ranges.

The Offley Arms in Madeley took home Best Cask Ale Growth, increasing its cask sales by an impressive 14.5%, from around 38 barrels to over 43 barrels. A brilliant achievement and a reflection of the team’s continued commitment to Joule’s cask ale.

Meanwhile, the Cock Inn in Leek received Best Cold Beer Growth, with sales increasing by an incredible 81.7%, from approximately 30 barrels to 54 barrels. That’s a fantastic result and shows just how much the pub’s cold beer offering has grown over the past year.

A huge congratulations to both teams. It’s great to see our beers doing so well in your pubs!

Great Pubs Are About More Than Beer

Some of our favourite awards celebrate all the other things that make a trip to the pub special.

The Mere Inn, Castle Hotel and Lower Chequer were named our Social Media Stars, while the Bricklayers Arms, Prince of Wales and Sandbrook Vaults took home Live Music Legend awards.

If you’re looking for something happening during the week, our Rhythm of the Week Champions are a good place to start. Congratulations to Sandbrook Vaults, White Horse and New Inn Harborne!

The Henry Tudor received Event Excellence, while the Cock Hotel and White Lion were recognised as Community Champions for the work they do in their local communities.

Our Pub in Bloom awards went to the Mere Inn, Kings Arms and Crown Codsall, recognising the care and effort that goes into making their pubs look their best.

And for anyone who loves a good pub meal, congratulations to the Leopard in Nantwich, winner of Best Pub Food, as voted for by the public.

We couldn’t forget our four-legged friends either. This year’s Best Pub Pet went to Nala from the Rose & Crown in Biddulph Moor!

Our Regional Champions

With Joule’s pubs spread across several counties, we love recognising the individual pubs making their mark in each area.

A big congratulations to our five Regional Champions:

  • Shropshire: Rose & Crown, Ludlow
  • Staffordshire: Rose & Crown, Biddulph Moor
  • Cheshire: Lower Chequer, Sandbach
  • Wales: Royal Oak, Wrexham
  • Birmingham: New Inn Harborne

It was a particularly lovely evening for Jess and Kayleigh at the Lower Chequer. Having started out managing the pub before taking on the tenancy themselves in 2025, they’ve continued to make it their own, and it was fantastic to see them recognised.

The Rose & Crown in Ludlow, New Inn Harborne and Lower Chequer all picked up more than one award on the night, making it an especially memorable evening for their teams.

Celebrating the People Behind Our Pubs

Of course, none of our pubs would be what they are without the people running them.

This year’s Rising Star award went to Helen and Andy at the Bricklayers, while Fran at the Offley Arms was named our Local Landlord Icon.

We also presented special recognition awards to Paul King from the Red Lion in Bomere Heath and Kat, our Joule’s Brewery Ambassador.

We had some important milestones to celebrate too. Emma, Callum and Dan were recognised for five years of service, while Stacey from the Royal Oak in Wrexham and Rachel celebrated ten years.

We also took a moment to thank the Miners Rest, Dolphin and Ye Olde for their time as part of the Joule’s family.

A Raffle for Severn Hospice

Alongside the awards, we held a charity raffle in aid of Severn Hospice, in memory of Eve Kavanagh.

There were some fantastic prizes up for grabs, from football matches and race days to theatre tickets, hampers, wine and vouchers.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the businesses, suppliers and friends of the brewery who generously donated prizes, including RSD, Port Vale, Stoke City, Stone Food & Drink Festival, Uttoxeter Racecourse, Fields Kitchen, Heineken, Shropshire Petals, Lancashire Cricket, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Image on Food, Morrisons, Coors, Momentum Wines and Tilley Green.

A special thank you also goes to Leah Hollins for helping to organise the raffle, and to everyone who bought tickets and supported the cause.

Thank You for Another Brilliant Year!

Our Taphouse Awards are a reminder of just how much goes on across our pubs throughout the year.

Every pub is different. Some are known for their food, some for their music, some for their beer, and others for the events and traditions that bring their communities together. Many do a bit of everything!

What they all have in common is the hard work of the people behind them.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at The Stag, to the team for hosting us, and to Sandbrook Vaults for keeping the celebrations going afterwards.

Most importantly, congratulations to all our winners, and thank you to every landlord, tenant and team member across the Joule’s family.

And to everyone who visits our pubs, enjoys our beer and supports their local, thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.

Here’s to another year of great pubs and great pints!

Cheers, from all of us at Joule’s Brewery.