The Olive Branch, Clipsham named UK Pub of the Year for second time

In a tough year has ended on a high note for the Olive Branch after it was named UK Pub of the Year by the Good Pub Guide 2021.

The Clipsham pub marks its 21st anniversary this week and has achieved many accolades since its opening night, including the same Pub of the Year title in 2014.

The Good Pub Guide said: "To compete in the Pub of the Year category a pub has to have unanimous enthusiasm from all readers on all aspects of its business – it has to be top of its game and the Olive Branch is most definitely that.

"It’s a really special place for a drink, a meal or an overnight stay.

"It’s a perennially successful inn which attracts a deservedly loyal following from both near and far, and will celebrate its 21st anniversary on December 12.”

Celebrations will be muted, or at least put on hold, until Covid-19 restrictions on the hospitality industry are lifted.

Olive Branch co-founder and managing director Ben Jones said: “What brilliant news to receive on our 21st anniversary at the end of this incredibly challenging year.

"We first opened on December 12, 1999, with a village Christmas party. Sadly, this year due to the government’s illogical, pub-killing restrictions, we will not be able to celebrate safely with locals and villagers."

Ben was one of three friends who bought the closed pub in 1999 and, with the help of family and villagers, rescued it from an uncertain fate.

While their fate is no longer uncertain, the present has thrown up fresh challenges to overcome.

“A pub is about the whole experience – the beer, the wine, the food and, above all, the atmosphere," Ben added.

"Right now, due to Covid and these restrictions, we aren’t really a pub.

"We aren’t able to welcome all; we aren’t able to enjoy a drink and some local gossip at the bar.

"However, this award means so much to us because it rewards the whole team at the end of an unbelievably tough year. Every single one of them has played their part in this success.”

Faced with such challenges, the Olive Branch aimed to not only meet the regulations, but to create a unique and memorable experience.

Christened the ‘New Special’ by the team, the Olive Branch experience in 2020 includes luxurious heated garden gazebos, more space, and a choice of service styles and seating areas.

Ben said: “It’s not been easy and each member of the team has had to work longer and harder to cover the extra space, to make customers feel safe and to complete all the appropriate cleaning.”