Category: News

Big Win for the Tiny Tavern

The Lincoln Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has chosen Lincoln’s Tiny Tavern as their overall Pub of the Year for 2024. The micropub is located on the Lower High Street in what was originally two of the 17th century cottages in the Grade II listed St Andrew’s Row.

Emma Chapman and her daughter, Steph, opened the Tiny Tavern in March 2020, just one week before the first COVID lockdown. However, since re-opening, they have built a strong following and a reputation for serving some of the best real ale in the city. This is hardly surprising, as Emma ran the Jolly Brewer on Broadgate from 2004 until 2013, while Steph worked there from 2004 until 2018.

The cosy lounge at the front of one of the cottages that comprise the Tiny Tavern has a window seat and fireplace. Towards the rear is a bar area with a dartboard. The other, linked cottage has the cellar room, plus an extra room which is available for community activities. There is a large garden to the rear. On the bar, the six handpumps feature beers from microbreweries near and far. They also serve traditional cider and perry.

Lincoln CAMRA chairman, Aaron Joyce, said, “It’s a tough job for our judges picking a top pub out of such a great set of contenders. Emma and Steph have shown how hard work and enthusiasm through trying times such as a world-wide pandemic pays off. They have taken a vacant building and turned it into the great micropub we see today, and this award shows how much that work is appreciated, not just by our members but by all that cross the threshold. So ‘Cheers!’ to the Tiny Tavern team, and well done to all the finalists.”

The Lincoln CAMRA Branch area covers a large part of the county which includes Market Rasen, Woodhall Spa and Leadenham, as well as Lincoln itself. It contains over 200 pubs. The Pub of the Year competition was divided into two categories, with CAMRA members voting for their favourite city pub and their favourite from the rest of the Branch area. Four judges then visited the top three city and top three country pubs to assess the quality of the beer, the atmosphere, the service and community focus.

The runner-up in the overall Pub of the Year competition is Lincoln’s Joiners Arms. The Dambusters Inn at Scampton and the Three Horseshoes, Waddington are joint winners of the Country Pub of the Year title. The other pubs in the final were Lincoln’s Strugglers Inn and the Ripon Arms at Nocton.

The Tiny Tavern now goes forward to the Lincolnshire round of the competition, where it will be up against the winners from the Gainsborough, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Louth, Grantham, Fenland and Peterborough CAMRA Branches.

The Tap is Finally Turned Off

After a major renovation, The Vine Inn on Newland Street West re-opened in December 2013 as the West End Tap. When father and son team, Nigel and Lewis De-la-Hey bought the street-corner local from Punch Taverns, they found it in a neglected state. Extensive works gave the pub a fresh, contemporary look, designed to appeal to students as well as other locals.
With five handpumps on the bar, the West End Tap offered an interesting and ever-changing range of real ales. Keg beers from global brewers were available from dispensers on the bar, while the four taps built into the wall were reserved for more interesting Belgian and US craft beers.
As one of the genuine free houses in the city, the pub had a significant commercial advantage over other establishments. The quality of the pub and its beers were recognised when it earned a place in CAMRA’s “Good Beer Guide 2016”.
In an area where there is sometimes tension between students and other residents, the West End Tap generated community cohesion and social interaction. It improved the “liveability” of the area and made a positive contribution to social wellbeing. It also provided employment opportunities. There is no doubt that the West End Tap was an important community facility.
Unfortunately, the West End Tap did not re-open after the COVID lock-downs and, in July 2021, the owners applied to convert the pub into dwellings, claiming that the business was no longer viable. In response, local residents set up the “Keep the Tap Running” group, arguing that the business was an important and viable community venue and that its loss would have a negative impact on the area. The pub was registered as an Asset of Community Value and, in April 2022, Lincoln City Council rejected the planning application.
The campaigners were delighted but their joy was short-lived. The owners appealed against the decision and, in March 2023, The Planning Inspectorate overturned the City Council’s decision and granted permission for the change of use.
Before the decision had been made, Marianne Langley, secretary of the Keep the Tap Running group, had submitted a paper to the City Council arguing that the Council’s pub protection policies were not fit for purpose and that urgent action was needed to provide stronger protection. The Planning Inspectorate’s reasons for allowing the appeal add weight to Marianne’s argument.
In a note to the Council following the decision, Marianne stated that, “Our pub protection policy MUST be improved if we are to have any chance of safeguarding these community assets going forward. I am deeply committed to this and will help in any way possible to bring about this much needed change.”

Strugglers Inn is still Lincoln CAMRA’s top pub

The Lincoln Branch of the Campaign for Real Ale has chosen Lincoln’s Strugglers Inn as their top pub for the second successive year. This is a notable achievement, given that long-term landlady, Anna, retired last year and Emma Blacklock has taken over.

The Lincoln Branch area covers a large part of the county which includes Market Rasen, Woodhall Spa and Leadenham, as well as Lincoln itself. It contains over 200 pubs.

The Pub of the Year competition was divided into two categories, with CAMRA members voting for their favourite city pub and their favourite from the rest of the Branch area. Five judges then visited the top three city and top three country pubs to assess the quality of the beer, the atmosphere, the service and community focus.

Standing in the shadow of Lincoln Castle, the Strugglers Inn is popular with locals and visitors alike. The walls of the two rooms are festooned with old photographs and the ceilings are covered with pump clips. The sunken garden is a sun trap. The numerous guest beers offer a range of styles and strengths, and local brews always feature.

One of the judges described the Strugglers as, “Very near perfect. A great range of ale and staff with the knowledge and enthusiasm to promote it.”

Lincoln CAMRA chairman, Aaron Joyce, said, “It’s a real tribute to Emma and the staff that the change of management has happened so seamlessly.”

The runner-up in the overall Pub of the Year competition is Lincoln’s Joiners Arms, and the Country Pub of the Year is the Dambusters Inn at Scampton. The other pubs in the final were Lincoln’s Tiny Tavern, the Anglers in Saxilby and the Butcher & Beast in Heighington.

The Strugglers Inn now goes forward to the Lincolnshire round of the competition, where it will be up against the winners from the Gainsborough, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Louth, Grantham and Fenland CAMRA Branches.

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