The Rusty Bicycle, in Oxford, has won the National Pub and Bar Award for the best pub in the county and will now go on to a national final.
James Clark, Chris Manners, and Leo Johnson behind the bar at the Rusty Bucket
The Rusty Bicycle, on Magdalen Road in East Oxford, is part of the Dodo Pub Co, a small group that began at this site in 2009. This was the first of one of three Arkell’s Brewery pubs that the group took on and which it runs in its own style, redefining the neigbourhood pub.
The company’s model is to offer great craft beers, artisan coffee, Neapolitan-style pizzas, chicken wings, and burgers, often with a smoky twist. The pubs also host regular events, providing the community with, as, one of the Dodo founders, Chris Manners, describes: “an experience. We have a relaxed service style, quirky staff and playlists, and we have great parties. We hope we add something to the community.”
Arkell’s could see the potential in Dodo from the beginning. Alex Arkell, now head brewer for the Swindon-based family business, studied with Chris Manners, then later partnered with him as the first landlords in the Rusty Bicycle in 2010, before moving on to learn brewing and qualify as a master brewer.
Alex said: “The Rusty and Dodo have come a long way since those early days, and of course the late nights! We’re incredibly proud to have been involved from the start. It is also a great award for Oxford and Oxfordshire as a county.”
Chris added: “We were incredibly fortunate to get the backing of the brewery in those early years. As with all start-ups, you have hundreds of ideas and you need someone to believe in you.
“Arkell’s backed us 100% and we delivered three fantastic neighbourhood pubs with them. This gave us the cornerstone to grow the business, and we continue to work closely with them.”
