Grainstore Brewery Tap director, Peter Atkinson, with the Good Pub Guide award
The Grainstore Brewery Tap, in Station Approach, Oakham, has been named brewpub of the year in the newly-published Good Pub Guide.
The traditional gravity-fed brewery, which is situated in an old grain store next to Oakham Station, was founded in 1994 by the former head brewer of Ruddles Brewery, Tony Davis, and his business partner Mike Davies. It has won the title four times before, in 2003, 2011, 2014 and 2016.
The brewery tap was opened on the ground floor as a temporary measure to create some cashflow but, 24 years later, it’s still going strong, attracting punters from across the world who visit for a refreshing pint, a generous meal, or to experience the pub’s regular music and comedy nights.
“I think the diversity of what’s on offer here partnered with exceptional real ales and the traditional pub atmosphere is what makes us so popular,” said director Peter Atkinson, who took over the pumps along with business partner William Davis — Tony’s son.
The brewery tap was opened on the ground floor as a temporary measure to create some cash flow but, 24 years later, it’s still going strong attracting punters from across the world who visit for a refreshing pint, a generous meal or to experience the pub’s regular music and comedy nights.
‘Exceptional real ales’
“I think the diversity of what’s on offer here partnered with exceptional real ales and the traditional pub atmosphere is what makes us so popular,” explains director Peter Atkinson who took over the pumps along with business partner William Davis, Tony’s son, in 2014.
“We offer a completely different experience from other pubs in the area as we can show people around the brewery, telling the story of how we traditionally brew our ales from grain to glass right here on the premises.”
The Grainstore is one of only a handful of breweries in the country that still uses gravity to brew its ales, making the process slower but creating multi award-winning beers as a result. Dried hops are draped across the ceilings of the industrial-looking pub, and the walls are covered in brewery memorabilia, including snaps from Prince Charles’ visit.
Over the last few years, Peter, along with head chef Daniel George, has developed a varied menu featuring pub classics such as sausage and mash, but incorporating The Grainstore’s ales into the mix.
Peter said: “A bit like wines, certain ales go well with certain foods, and we change our menu seasonally to reflect the seasonal ales that we brew, along with using them as often as we can in the dishes themselves. One of our next steps will be to create menus that offer tasters of each of the paired beers as well.”
He added: “We’re absolutely delighted to have been named own brew pub of the year once again. It’s an award we strive for each year and we couldn’t achieve it without the incredible team here at the brewery and in the tap.”
