EXCLUSIVE: Matt Jackson visited the picturesque market city that’s dwelling to a pub topped Britain’s greatest – and was left amazed by the value of a beer
Matt exterior the Crown Wharf in Stone (Picture: Matt Jackson)
The price of a pint continues to climb, with some drinkers now routinely forking out greater than £7 for a beer, and the typical punter shelling out upwards of £5. It is a far cry from simply 15 years in the past when a spherical may very well be had for as little as £2.50 a pint.
But tucked away within the coronary heart of the Midlands, within the charming city of Stone, one pub seems to be turning again the clock. The Crown Wharf, the flagship venue for brewery chain Joules, boasts costs that would go away many drinkers totally gobsmacked. The pub was even topped Britain’s greatest on the Nice British pub awards final 12 months. The venue proudly declares that each Joules pint served comes from “down the highway in Market Drayton”
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An inside view of a eating space in a restaurant or pub, that includes an extended picket desk flanked by picket chairs. The room has wooden floors and a excessive ceiling adorned with ceiling lamps. On the left aspect, a wall is embellished with a big black portray, whereas on the suitable aspect, a bar counter is seen with a number of gadgets on it. (Picture: Steve Bould/StokeonTrentLive)
As somebody who has by no means wanted a lot persuading to go to a pub or two through the years, I made a decision it was excessive time to make the quick journey down the M6 from my dwelling in Cheshire to find whether or not the venue actually deserves its title as Britain’s best. Luckily, upon arriving within the Staffordshire city, it was instantly clear that I had picked the right day for it.
The solar was blazing, locals have been leisurely wandering alongside the canal, and a conveniently situated automobile park sat only a stone’s throw from the pub — preferrred for any designated drivers in tow. After a nice stroll alongside the waterway, I made my solution to the venue.
Learn extra: Not York or Tub – ‘Venice of England’ is fairly village with waterfront walks
It was an ideal day for a pint (Picture: MATT JACKSON)
Upon arriving, I used to be instantly struck by simply how huge the pub was — it even boasts its personal neighborhood theatre, which was previously a hearth station in a earlier period. Having descended the steps from the principle road and made my manner inside, I headed straight for the bar.
I already had my order firmly in thoughts — at £3.80, it needed to be a Joules Citra Blonde. The beer was described as a “mild and refreshingly hoppy” beverage, which appeared the best selection for a sun-drenched Sunday outing.
Had I fancied spending a bit extra, I may have opted for a pale ale at £3.90, or perhaps a Inexperienced Monkey, Joules’ personal lager, for £4.60. Even because the bartender pointed the money machine at me, I may scarcely consider that in 2026 I used to be handing over simply £3.80 for a pint.
Nonetheless, pint in hand, I set about exploring the sprawling venue. With the sunshine nonetheless holding, I made a beeline for the beer backyard, the place I may watch walkers ambling alongside the canal towpath as narrowboats gently swayed on the water past.
It was virtually easy to neglect that you simply have been seated in a beer backyard in Staffordshire on an April weekend — a splendidly tranquil scene, solely often punctuated by the joyful bark of a canine.
In any case, what pub can be full and not using a four-legged companion? Or, certainly, the cheerful chirping of birdsong. Nonetheless preoccupied with the price of a pint, I discovered myself pondering what the chain does so in another way from its opponents. It was then that I found it claims to have “no cans, no bottles, no grocery store cabinets” to compete with.
The Crown Wharf pub (Picture: Matt Jackson)
Each tipple on provide is solely obtainable at its personal pubs. Certainly, the chain’s chief government Vicky Colclough just lately instructed the Morning Advertiser that it was decided to maintain its beers under that £4 value level.
She defined that it was “actually essential” that the pub stays an “on a regular basis luxurious” and never a “weekend or a one-off within the month”. She says the pub chain has “honed down on each recipe”.
And you can genuinely inform. I might ordinarily, when out and about, go for a beer, however the prospect of a £3.80 pint was just too good to withstand. Whereas it would not usually be my first selection, it was completely satisfying — the right companion for a sunny weekend afternoon.
Inside view of a hall with vibrant crimson and inexperienced partitions, picket beams, and an ornamental archway. The hall encompasses a picket desk, a rug on the ground, and numerous framed footage adorning the partitions. (Picture: Steve Bould/StokeonTrentLive)
After ending my drink, I made a decision to enterprise into the city for a leisurely stroll. The venue had already begun to replenish, regardless of having solely simply opened once I arrived, with loads of punters looking for their Sunday dinner repair.
Having explored Stone, I made my manner again dwelling, and I can utterly perceive why The Crown Wharf was topped pub of the 12 months. It’s a spacious venue boasting improbable beer and, nonetheless remarkably, a £3.80 pint.
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