How an empty shop became Britain's best pub

Eight years ago, an empty building standing in the shadow of Tamworth Castle was a forgotten tourist information centre with overgrown outdoor space and boarded-up rooms.

The same Tudor property is now the Tamworth Tap, recently crowned Overall Great British Pub of the Year and Best Beer Pub, attracting visitors from across the country for its cask ales, historic surroundings and coveted castle views.

But according to owners George and Louise Greenaway, becoming an award-winning pub was never part of the plan.

"When Tamworth Brewing Co was established, the original plan was simply to create a small brewery in Tamworth," said George.

"The intention was to brew our own beer and supply local pubs and beer festivals with our ales. There was never an initial plan to open a pub."

Instead, the couple set out to create a brewery inside the empty town-centre building, producing beer for other venues to sell.

Sections of the building, including the courtyard and hopyard area overlooking the castle, had become overgrown. What followed was years of restoration work to bring the historic property back to life.

George said: "It was an empty shop eight years ago. But we added suspended ceilings, LED lighting, magnolia walls and carpet tiles.

"A lot of the building was actually unusable, the main challenges in the early stages were practical ones.

"Particularly finding tradespeople when we needed them, including electricians."

Yet as work progressed, the building itself began to influence the future direction of the business.

Rather than serving purely as a home for brewing tanks and barrels, its timber-framed rooms, historic features and setting beneath Tamworth Castle started attracting people in their own right.

Louise said: "As the brewery developed, we began holding occasional pop-up openings, allowing people to drink the beer where it was brewed.

"These were initially intended to be limited events, but customers responded positively and kept coming back.

"The pop-ups became more regular, our opening hours expanded and, before we knew it, the brewery had developed into a pub open six days a week."

For George, it was the building's character that ultimately changed everything.

"The more work we carried out, the more we felt its character should be experienced by customers, rather than simply used to house the brewery.

"It became clear that it was somewhere people should be able to sit, enjoy a pint and spend time in."

That evolution can still be seen throughout the venue today.

Visitors stepping inside are greeted by intimate rooms, traditional furnishings, hop garlands suspended from ceilings and vintage beer memorabilia, making it difficult to imagine the building's former life as a retail unit.

The 16th Century shopfront remains a focal point, while beyond the courtyard sits one of the pub's most striking features: uninterrupted views of Tamworth's Norman castle.

The castle backdrop has become one of the venue's defining characteristics, helping create an atmosphere that feels far removed from its former role as a shop unit.

Louise said: "The venue evolved organically. We started by focusing on brewing beer for other pubs, but the building, the beer and the customers gradually created something different.

"We responded to the way people used the space, and The Tamworth Tap developed into a pub alongside the brewery."

Despite its growing reputation, the couple said brewing remains at the heart of the business.

One clue lies in the fact the venue closes every Monday, not for a day off, but for some of its busiest work.

"It is actually one of our busiest working days, as we use it for brewing, cellar work, deliveries, deep cleaning and other jobs that are more difficult to carry out when the pub is open", said George.

"So, although The Tamworth Tap has become an award-winning pub, it is still very much a brewery at heart."

Its success has earned recognition from both the hospitality industry and the Campaign for Real Ale, also being named in the final four of CAMRA's National Pub of the Year, after winning already on three consecutive occasions.

George said the latest awards had particular significance, because they validated a direction the business had never originally intended to take.

"Those accolades have been particularly meaningful because they have validated the decision to embrace the venue as a pub, even though that was never part of the original plan," he said.

For awards judge Ed Bedington, that unexpected transformation is what makes the venue stand out.

"The beer is excellent, obviously, but it's so much more than that," he said.

"It's been a real passion project for them and they've created something that really is quite special.

"You would not know it was an old shop. You'd think it had been a pub for generations."

From a derelict tourist information centre to Britain's best pub, the Greenaways' success story was never part of the blueprint. Instead, they say, it grew from a brewery, a historic building and a community of customers who helped shape what the venue would become.

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