Colin Keatley’s Fat Cat, in Norwich, has been named beer pub of the year in the Good Pub Guide’s annual awards.
A packed Fat Cat in happier times. Photograph by soapbeard licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
The guide says: “Heaven for real ale lovers, this cheerful town pub lies tucked away in a residential area just west of the city centre. With bare floor boards throughout, the no-nonsense furnishings include plain pine tables and simple solid seats, lots of brewery memorabilia, bric-a-brac, and stained glass; board games.
“The knowledgeable Mr Keatley and his hospitable staff can help guide you through the extraordinary choice of 32 perfectly kept and quickly changing beers.”
Alas, the Fat Cat is closed until 2021, according to its website, as Norwich continues to have tier 2 status.
The rest of the guide’s top ten beer pubs comprise: The Bhurtpore, Aston, Cheshire; the Fat Cat, Ipswich, Suffolk; the Guildford Arms, Edinburgh; the Halfway House, Pitney, Somerset; The Harp, London; Hawkshead Brewery Beer Hall, Staveley, Cumbria; the Maltings, York; the Nag’s Head, Malvern, Worcestershire; and the Tom Cobley, Spreyton, Devon.
Brewpub of the year
The Dipton Mill Inn, in Hexham, Northumberland, has been named brewpub of the year. The home of Hexhamshire Brewery, the guide says of the pub: “It’s a quaint little place whose neatly kept snug bar has genuine character, dark ply panelling, low ceilings, red furnishings, a dark red carpet and two welcoming open fires.
“The sunken garden is peaceful and pretty, with attractive planting and seats on grass by a restored mill stream. Hexham Racecourse is not far away and there are also woodland walks nearby.”
The other top brewpubs are: The Boot, Repton, Derbyshire; the Brewery Tap, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire; the Church Inn, Uppermill, Lancashire; the Drunken Duck, near Hawkshead, Cumbria; the Gribble Inn, Oving, Sussex; Hawkshead Brewery Beer Hall, Staveley, Cumbria; The Ship, Newton-by-the-sea, Northumberland; the Watermill, Ings, Cumbria; and the Weighbridge Brewhouse, Swindon, Wiltshire.
