Double Camra award delight for Wordsley's Bird in Hand pub

The Bird in Hand in John Street has won the Dudley and South Staffordshire branch's pub of the year award for the second time in three years.

Branch chairman Stuart Betts presented the award certificate to licensee Paula Herbert on Wednesday.

The pub also received the West Midlands Camra pub of excellence award for 2021 which it shared jointly with The Rugby Tap.

Mr Betts said; "We are very lucky to have a number of very good pubs and breweries and to become pub of the year requires a very high standard.

"The Bird in hand does very good beer and also has a great atmosphere. It does all the things a good pub should."

Mr Betts was presented with a West Midlands Camra award for design excellence for the logo of the 2021 Dudley Winter Ales Fayre, which featured the Pegasus statue in Dudley.

Red pub Company owner Paul Jones said the Bird in Hand, which is one of his 15 pubs, had not had the chance to celebrate being branch pub of the year in 2020 due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

"To win once is a real achievement but to win twice is a testament to the hard work and effort of everyone here. We must be doing the right things," he said.

Paula Herbert said: "We have the most amazing customers who are supportive and generous.

"It has been a hard time over the last couple of years, but we have made it through."

As part of the evening Bewdley Brewery gave a presentation about its core range of beers which regulars were able to try.

John Wright and apprentice brewer Tanisha Bishop spoke about the beers and the history of the brewery in Lax Lane which was founded in 2008.

A raffle was also held to raise funds for Dudley MIND.