Victorian Hostelry Continues To Wow

Since 1898, the Black Horse in Preston city centre has been providing patrons with a wide selection of drinks within its unique, Grade II listed building. Now the team are hoping to clinch a national award

When it comes to recognition, the Black Horse in Preston is doing rather well with their latest award – Lancashire Pub of the Year – just one in a long line of accolades.

This respected CAMRA award follows on from their win as CAMRA Central Lancashire Pub of the Year, which they’ve been awarded for two consecutive years. This marks a significant achievement for both the Black Horse, and for the city, where it’s believed to be the first pub in Preston to receive this honour since 2001.

Sitting proudly behind the beautiful tiled circular bar, you will find certificates including the George Lee Memorial Trophy 2019/20 and a Certificate of Excellence for the most highly rated pubs in the CAMRA branch 2022, plus the West Pennines Regional Cider Pub of the Year 2024. This pub is definitely on the must-visit map!

Located on the corner or Friargate and Orchard Street, the Black Horse is renowned for its charming atmosphere, historic architecture and commitment to providing well-kept real ales. The pub has become a beloved hub in the community, drawing both locals and visitors with its warm hospitality and excellent offerings.

A Robinsons pub – family brewers since 1838 – you’ll find the famous Old Tom and Dizzy Blonde ales along with regular guest real ales and more recently, a host of ciders.

The pub, a Grade II listed property, dates back to Victorian times and is known for its unique architecture, including three entrance doors from three different streets – a one-of-a-kind feature in the country. Inside, you’ll find an expressive tiled bar servery, mosaic floors and a side corridor leading to additional seating and an upstairs room and bar, full to the brim with interesting artefacts.

Dan Taylor, Robinsons’ Business Partner at the Black Horse, has been at the helm of the pub for the past eight years.

He said: “We are incredibly proud to receive such a note-worthy CAMRA award. After being our local CAMRA Pub of the Year for two years running, achieving the award for the whole of Lancashire is incredible. This recognition reflects the hard work of our entire team, and the wonderful support from our customers. We try really hard to create a welcoming environment where everyone can enjoy quality drinks and great company and this award is a fantastic validation of our efforts.”

Alongside the Black Horse, Dan also runs another incredible Robinsons pub, the Three Mariners in Lancaster.

What is really exciting is that the Lancashire award sees the pub enter into the next round of the competition for the West Pennine Pub of the Year and if successful, the Black Horse may become a national finalist: “Since the competition began in 1988, no pub from Preston has ever got this far,” Dan continued. “Only one has won the national award from Lancashire.”

Pubs in the competition are judged on their atmosphere, decor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression, but most importantly – the quality of live beer, real cider and perry.

Within the Robinsons 250 or so venues, the Black Horse has also won the brewery’s Gold Award in Beer Excellence for the fourth year. With many bars and pubs under threat of late, the Black Horse is standing firm: “Attitudes have changed over the years. Real ale pubs are no longer ‘old men’s’ pubs. What we know as beer as changed – now you can enjoy a host of flavours and colours. Many women enjoy real ales and ciders and we do offer a host of gins and another 70 sprits along with more traditional beers, stout and lagers, so there is something for everyone.”

There are two real fires located in the two snugs either side of the bar, perfect for when the nights get colder and a definite stop following some Christmas shopping. At the weekends, guests can enjoy open mic nights on Friday nights and live music on Saturday nights in what was once known as Peter’s Bar on the first floor. At one time, the pub would have stood just along from the Royal Hippodrome theatre which was demolished in 1959.

Dan concluded: “We have a great team here at the Black Horse. Managers Harry and Beth have been with us for a long time and we make sure members of staff are right for the vibe of the pub – friendly, welcoming and chatty and we offer a very safe space to enjoy. We are all very proud of the pub and we are proud of being part of Robinsons. We are committed to quality and choice, so if you haven’t called in yet, please pop in and try some of our remarkable drinks and see why we have won our awards and of course, we hope to win more.”

So, whether you are a history buff, real ale fan or just want to relax in a pub full to the brim with character, you can’t go wrong at the Black Horse. Cheers!

robinsonsbrewery.com/pubs/black-horse-preston

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