THE owners of an award-winning pub in Oswestry say they are looking forward to welcoming customers back after restrictions are loosened further.

Grace Goodlad and Duncan Barrowman run the Bailey Head pub in Oswestry, and are hoping for a much better 2021 than the last 12 months have proven.

On March 11 2020, the pair attended the Society of Independent Brewers awards in Liverpool, and came away with the prize of the UK’s Best Rural Craft Beer Pub or Bar.

On the same evening they were awarded the Shrewsbury and West Shropshire CAMRA Market Towns Pub of the Year 2020, winning the award for the fourth year in a row.

The euphoria was short lived, just nine days later, pubs were closed in and the whole licensed trade community was plunged into chaos and fear.

This was the start of a year of constant change and transformation with a myriad of challenges, but also opportunities.

Since then they have set up a webstore providing a home delivery service, a Facebook group for more than 400 pub customers and twice weekly virtual pub Zoom sessions.

Grace said “The interaction we have maintained with our customers and staff has been a big support for everyone’s mental health, both theirs and ours, over these difficult times.”

Last week they were one of the three finalists again for Best Rural Craft Beer Pub or Bar, the only pub to be a finalist three times in the award’s six-year history.

Despite the small disappointment at not winning again Duncan is looking forward far more to seeing people return to the pub.

He said: “Awards are a great recognition, but it is people that are far more important.

"The whole Bailey Head team are desperately looking forward to having people back at the pub, they really see it as one big family.”