Pair win award for 30 years of ‘good’ beer

LANDLORDS of a pub in Henley have won an award for selling “good” beer for more than 30 years.

The Bird in Hand in Greys Road is run by Graham and Celia Steward, who have been behind the bar of the free house since 1993.

The Campaign for Real Ale honoured the pub for 30 years of appearing in the Good Beer Guide, in which pubs appear following a vote by the campaign’s volunteers.

The guide lists more than 4,500 of the UK’s best pubs serving the “British cask-conditioned live beer in excellent condition”.

Mr Steward, 78, said: “I am very pleased because it is quite an achievement. Not many people have done it is because, if pubs change hands, they have to start again in the guide with new owners. So to be in it for 30 consecutive years is apparently quite unusual. I think the only secret I have is to clean your pipes. You look after beer as if you were looking after a baby.

“If something needs doing it should be done, you don’t put it off and think ‘Oh, I can’t afford to throw this beer away. If it doesn’t look good, take it off and find something else. Just accept sometimes you have to throw away less good beer to get good beer.”

The award also acknowledges the atmosphere of the pub, something which it has been commended on.

Mr Seward said: “I think just smile at people, say please and thank-you and good night. It’s common courtesy really.

“You should also try and chat to people. If it is obvious someone is on their own, you try and chat. If they sit at the bar they probably want to speak. If they don’t and sit at a table with a book or paper, they probably don’t. So, you have to weigh it up and just try and be as friendly as you can. They are more like friends than customers.

“You can’t apply to be in the guide, people come to the pub and then contact the campaign saying, ‘That’s a really good pint’.”

Mr Seward said has enjoyed running the pub. He said: “It has been good fun. We don’t make a fortune but we are still pretty happy. I am way past retirement but I quite enjoy it and that is all we can ask. I am very lucky.”

Graham Hards, chairman of the South Oxfordshire Campaign for Real Ale, said: “There are very few pubs across the country that have received a listing as continuously as this. It is quite remarkable.”