Express & Star

Staffordshire pub in CAMRA award

A pub is celebrating after collecting a major gong as the reputation for its micro-brewery soars.

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The Vine Inn, in Sheep Fair, Rugeley, started brewing its own highly-rated ales 18 months ago.

It has been given the Cannock Chase CAMRA award as Pub of the Season for Winter 2016.

Landlord Oliver Westwood said the pub was pleased the move into brewing was proving popular with punters.

He said: "We have made great strides in our beer. And we were really pleased to get the award.

"We have been here for 11 years but we have upped the amount of real ale recently. We are doing a lot more craft beers and we have been diversifying the beer that we are offering.

"I think because supermarkets are so cheap people are looking for something a bit different, something with a story.

"They can get their Carling or Strongbow so cheap they need something that has got that story."

The micro-brewery produces 1,000 litres of real ale a week and The Vine boasts its own English pale ale, a Vanilla Porter, a fizzy grapefruit India pale ale and a chocolate orange ale. The Vanilla Porter won the pub another prize in November after Lichfield, Sutton and Tamworth CAMRA group gave it the LocAle of the Festival award at the Tamworth Beer Festival.

On future plans, Mr Westwood said he hopes to expand the micro-brewery. He owns half the pub with dad, David, 58.

He said: "We would love to expand over the next few years if we can bring in the money.

"We want to get the name out there and make it and go from there."

The chairman of the Cannock Chase CAMRA group David Guy said the award was given out after group members highly rated The Vine's beer quality and atmosphere.

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