I was sent to a town in Staffordshire to take a look at its shopping centre, which was considered worthless by its leasehold owner. I took a walk around the town centre, which was undergoing major changes and, as a consequence, much of it looked like a building site.
But there was one place in the town that came to life. Packed out on a dreary pre-Christmas Wednesday evening with happy faces. Full of chatter and supping a variety of drinks that won’t be found elsewhere.
The Tamworth Tap sits in Market Street in the heart of the town it’s named after. It’s a stone’s throw from the statue of Robert Peel, twice the country’s Prime Minister and famed for founding modern policing – most particularly those Bobbies which we always want more of on the beat.
Read more: Two West Midlands pubs named among the best in the country
Tamworth is a town I worked in for more than a decade. At the offices of the Tamworth Herald on the edge of the Ventura Retail Park. I would venture into the town centre often with my friend and colleague Dan, who’d buy a jacket potato from Spudman before he became a TikTok sensation with queues around St Editha’s Square (before his ‘temporary’ move to Coleshill).
I was asked to visit the Ankerside Shopping Centre – given away for free by its leaseholder owners REI Nederland BV back to Tamworth Borough Council at the end of November to check it out. You can read my shopping centre thoughts here and the thoughts of locals – who both cherished and loathed Ankerside, seemingly in equal measure.
After pounding the town centre streets and Ankerside for several hours, I stepped into the Tamworth Tap, which has twice been awarded the pub of the year, in 2022 and 2023 by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) – the latest award in January 2024. And now more recently the Best Pub for Beer at the Great British Pub Awards 2024.
The Tamworth Tap in Market Street is an ‘old-fashioned’ brewpub but is just seven years old – and has already won multiple national awards
But what makes this pub special? Having plodded around the town, immediately the Tamworth Tap was different – full of life and packed with groups of friends and couples. It’s an old-fashioned-style pub, but just seven years old and created in an empty shop, with attention to detail and some modern touches.
The Great British Pub Awards said: “Overlooked by Tamworth Castle, the Tamworth Tap offers a wonderful and diverse range of beer with something sure to please all palates. George and Louise Greenaway first opened the site back in 2017.
“Initially trading solely as a microbrewery, the husband-and-wife duo soon saw the huge potential for opening the pub and have since expanded the business to include an outdoor kitchen and shop.
“Judges were impressed with the Tap’s passion for real ale and brewing as well as the business’s approach to staff training, cellar management and dedication to putting Tamworth on the map when it comes to beer.”
Read more: Loved and loathed – verdict on centre once worth millions given away for free
I asked behind the bar what stouts they had and was showed two seasonal offerings – neither the ubiquitous Guinness. Cosmic Santa – a festive breakfast stout by the Fownd Brewing Company in Kidderminster. And Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins Festive Stout from Bang the Elephant Brewing Co in Langley Mill in the East Midlands, a little north of Derby and Nottinghamshire.
As I had to drive home I plumped for the Cosmic Santa – ‘with coffee notes’, the informative barmaid told me, as it was four per cent. The Festive Stout was a punchier 5.6 per cent – one for another day.
The downstairs bar was busy – with groups sat in both front windows and all along the side which stretches back past the bar. And another nook with seats was also filled at the bottom of the stairs.
This was shortly before 5pm! But fear not – head to the first floor and there’s another big room and up more stairs a third room with plenty of seating. They must need it on a weekend!
The Tamworth Tap is full of nooks and crannies spread across three floors for visitors to sit and meet friends and family while drinking some of the country’s finest beers
I sipped my pint to the side of the bar initially. The pub is decked out with wooden flooring and tables. The walls are covered in real ale memorabilia, from beer mats to fliers to signs you’d place on pumps, dependent on what’s being served.
Groups were happily chatting away, and when one moved, I perched at the bar near the entrance on a stool. On a screen is a list of the pub’s cask ales – the two stouts plus six more, Snow Flake from Sarah Hughes in Dudley, a barley wine at eight per cent.
Best Bitter from Bathams Brewery in Brierley Hill, Dune Buggy a session IPA from Northdown Brewery in Margate, Harlow Blonde, a session ale from Harrogate Brewing Co and Green Devil IPA, twice a world champion cask beer, from Oakham Ales in Peterborough. All the pints are priced between £4.20 and £5.50.
A second bar has Liefmanns Fruitesse from the Belgian Brewing Company, Healey’s Rattle Cyder from Cornwall, the pub’s very own Tamworth Lager, London black a nitro porter from Anspach and Hobday. And Benediktiner Hell – a lager from Bavaria in Germany. Outside is a board showing a huge list of events from live music to wreath making, creative writing groups, and craft workshops. Christmas carols to CAMRA pub crawls.
The Tamworth Tap even has an electronic display board showing the latest train times from Tamworth Railway Station – sme 12 minutes walk away (if sober!)
The pub has lots of little touches, from its unusual beers to an array of snacks, including a jar of mince pies for the festive season. The toilet was immaculate – which is saying something for gents’ loos! And there’s even a board showing live train times from Tamworth Station, something I first saw at the quirky Folklore café at Sutton Coldfield Station – a nice touch.
The pub celebrated its seventh birthday just before Christmas. As well as its pub and beer awards, it’s also won a Best Beer Garden in Britain in 2022 – one for the summer, rather than chilly December drizzle! But a step inside, is a step away from your chaotic world outside. In Tamworth’s case a state of flux as its town centre improvements take shape. Tamworth Tap is a pub that’s put the town back on the map and is well worth a visit…