Pub 'validated' by award amid industry troubles

The owners of a pub say being recognised with an award just two years after opening has been "validating".

The Sheep and Penguin in Wells, Somerset, was named pub of the year by the Bath and Borders CAMRA.

Its new owners bought the site - where the Mermaid previously traded before its closure about 13 years ago - in 2023, and gave it a complete overhaul to run it as a pub and accommodation business.

Sam James, the operations manager of the venue, said the pub's success was down to the team, the building's new fit-out and the range of drinks available.

According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), nearly 300 pubs closed across England and Wales in 2024, the equivalent of six closures a week.

Talking about opening a pub in this climate, Mr James said his family were "confident" they could make a good go of it.

"We felt like we knew enough about pubs from frequenting them that we could create a good offering," he said.

"We can buck the trend and show that if you give pubs a bit of love and TLC, actually they can become key places in the community... and they can thrive."

Part of this means the pub is trying to get in drinks from smaller, local independent breweries, rather than big brands.

Mr James said: "The strength comes from our staff, and we're trying to become a community pub."

He praised the pub's chef, housekeeper and front-of-house team, and said the general manager was "an encyclopaedia of all sorts of beers and liquors".

Mr James added that the team hoped to "keep on building" on what they had achieved.

A spokesperson for Bath & Borders CAMRA said they were "thrilled" to present the pub with the award, after a "stunning restoration" of the venue.

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