A Merseyside pub that was boarded up for closure five years ago has been named the best in the UK.
When owners Andy and Denise Evans took over the Cricketers Arms in St Helens in 2013, it had not served cask ale since 1980.
Now the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has awarded the pub its top accolade, naming it national pub of the year.
A thriving community pub that is popular with all age groups and attracts national and international visitors, it offers 13 local cask ales, 100 different types of gin and up to 20 ciders in the summer.
The are plans to open a microbrewery in the next few months, and customers will be invited to name its beers.
Visitors popping in for a pint can take their pick from a wide range of social activities, including beer festivals, dominoes, jam nights, pub quizzes, karaoke and pool. Its food offering includes award-winning pork pies made locally.
In its new guise the Cricketers Arms, located on the edge of the town centre, has regularly picked up local Camra awards, but this is its first national accolade.
“After winning the regional award in both 2015 and 2016, it’s a well deserved third time lucky for the Cricketers to be named Camra’s national 2017 pub of the year,” said Paul Ainsworth of Camra. “It is a shining example of how a pub which seems destined for closure can have its fortunes turned around when in the right hands.”
Owner Andy Evans, who was a postman for 23 years before buying the pub with the help of a business loan, admitted he had previously never pulled a pint in his life.
“We are over the moon to be named the top pub in the country after just a few short years of renovation,” he said. “We’ve done everything we can to make this a welcoming community pub and still have exciting developments ahead of us. We are very proud to be part of the cask ale scene and look forward to celebrating.”
Runners-up include the Wigan Central in Wigan, the Stanford Arms in Lowestoft and the Weavers Real Ale House in Kidderminster. Pubs are selected by Camra volunteers and judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, community focus and quality of beer.
