The four pubs with tradition at their heart which are in the running for major award
Four pubs with tradition at their heart are in the running to win a big regional award.
The Duke of York in Lichfield, the Arcade in Cannock, the Black Star in Stourport-on-Severn and the Dog & Partridge in Wolverhampton are all on the shortlist for Traditional Pub of the Year at the Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality awards.
They join pubs from Warwick, Worcestershire and different parts of Birmingham in being shortlisted for the award, with the winner announced on June 17 at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
The Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards was born out of the Birmingham Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards and was expanded to include the whole of the Midlands, with categories including Street Food Operator of the Year, Vegan or Vegetarian Restaurant of the Year and Independent Coffee Shop of the Year.
The four pubs named from the Black Country, Staffordshire and Wyre Forest are all buildings with history and which have worked to maintain a character.
The Duke of York is the oldest inn in Lichfield, built in 1644 and sitting at the top of the city, on Greenhill.
It has ancient oak beams which span the old bar and the front bar has remained pretty much unchanged in that time, a big inglenook and real fire, oak benches and wide oak timber floor.
The back bar used to be the coaching stables and has been known as the ‘back room’ for years.
The Arcade in Cannock on Mill Street is described as a gem of a pub, with a post-industrial feel and pop culture references throughout the bar.
The back room is a lounge with period furniture and local historic photographs leading to an outside area with wooden decking.
The Black Star in Stourport sits at the end of the High Street, overlooking the canal, and comes with a bar with low beamed ceilings and cosy corners.
It also has an additional seating area and function room upstairs which was once a chapel and retains many of the features and windows, and the beer garden provides a view over the canal.
The Dog and Partridge is the oldest building on Wednesfield High Street and for over 100 years brewed its own beer which ceased around 1956.
The front original two rooms, a small bar and larger lounge with pool table have been opened out by the removal of the doors, the lounge still retains its original fireplace.
To the left of the bar is the original inglenook hearth and cast iron grate which was part of the owners living accommodation and was separated from the public bar by a wall.
To find out more about the awards and to book tickets to the awards, go to mfdhawards.co.uk