'Labour of love' pub revamp gets national award

A back street Victorian pub has been crowned the winner of the Campaign for Real Ale's (Camra) national heritage award.

The new owners of the Vine Inn, Pittshill in Stoke-on-Trent, have restored the Grade II listed building, which dates back to the 1870s, and, since reopening in June last year, the pub has become a thriving community hub.

Customers told the BBC that visiting the watering hole was like stepping back in time and they greatly appreciated it had retained its historical features.

After its closure during the Covid pandemic, new owners Steve Burke, Lisa Combes and Dave Oakley described the project of bringing it back to life as a labour of love.

Burke told the BBC: "The community is the best thing about it. We bought the pub so that no-one else could ever buy it because we didn't want it to be spoiled.

"The community has been fantastic. It's like a working, living, community museum."

Though it has reopened, it has not been modernised and remains largely unchanged in decor.

Oakley said: "When people walk in they look around and it's like 'oh wow'.

"On a daily basis, somebody new will come in and they'll fall in love with the place."

The heritage award aims to promote and preserve the interiors of historic pubs and highlights people that have saved or have carefully revived a heritage pub.

A Camra spokesperson said: "The Vine is a perfect example of a back street Victorian local, hidden away in the terraced streets, with an interior of outstanding national historic importance.

"The Grade II listed pub showcases classic features such as a partly glazed partition wall, an off-sales hatch with an intact rising sash window and a 1950s tiled fireplace."

Combes, the landlady added: "We kept it as much as we could, like it originally was.

"But yes, so proud, so proud of everyone who comes in here because they love it and without the customers this place wouldn't be here.

"It's been fantastic. It's a labour of love."

To keep attracting customers, the team have kept up with pub traditions such as a monthly meat raffle.

A pub goer said: "It's unique because it hasn't been changed since the 1920s and 1930s - that's what makes it so amazing.

"It's like walking back into the past.

Another added: "For any area I just think it's so important that people know everyone around the area, so they keep in touch.

A third commented:"It brings people together and that's what people want and that's what this pub's done and that's why it's great."

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