Leighton's Bald Buzzard earns '˜best new pub' accolade

Bald Buzzard proprietors Alison Bennett & Phil Taylor with South Beds CAMRA chairman Roy Chatto

The pub in Hockliffe Street, which opened last summer, has just been named ‘Best New Pub of the Year’ by the South Bedfordshire Branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).

Proprietors Alison Bennett and Phil Taylor were presented with their award by South Beds CAMRA branch chairman Roy Chatto and other members of the branch.

Alison said: “We are very happy to receive this award from CAMRA. We would also like to thank all our customers who have supported us since we opened in July 2015.

“Hard work does pay off and we are extremely proud of being accredited for the way our drinks and home cooked food have been received and consumed.”

Alison and Phil realised their dream when they opened the Bald Buzzard in a former chocolate shop. The pub is one of a new and growing national trend of disused shops being turned into small and cosy micro pubs.

A CAMRA spokesman said: “These micro pubs tend to be friendlier and suited to convivial conversation rather than being filled with music, TV and gaming machines.

“In the Bald Buzzard they make clever use of the very limited space by keeping the ales in a cool room with a sliding patio door right behind the bar.

“The Bald Buzzard specialises in serving beers from small, local breweries of which there is an increasing number to choose from.”