A pub which was boarded up for closure five years ago has been named the best in the country after reopening, with plans to build a microbrewery.
The Cricketers Arms in St Helens, Merseyside won the Pub Of The Year title from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), which praised its selection of 13 locally-sourced cask ales and up to 20 ciders in the summer.
The pub hosts regular beer festivals, quizzes, karaoke and other events and has opened a whiskey and gin bar.
Owner Andy Evans said:”We’ve done everything we can to make this a welcoming community pub and still have exciting developments ahead of us.
The Cricketers Arms in St Helens (Camra/PA)
“As well as expanding the beers available, we created a beer garden and put greens in the ground, and have big plans to install a microbrewery this year.”
Paul Ainsworth, of Camra, said: “In less than five years, Andy and Denise have converted a boarded up pub on the brink of closure into a true destination pub for beer lovers across the country.
“What impressed me the most is that the Cricketers is a genuine community pub where people from all walks of life come together to socialise. It is a shining example of how a pub, which seems destined for closure, can have its fortunes turned around when in the right hands.”