Four Merseyside pubs bidding to be best in Britain after being shortlisted in national pub awards

A quartet of Merseyside pubs are in the running to be named the best in the country after being shortlisted in the 2023 Great British Pub Awards.

The Bridewell, The Hightown Pub & Kitchen, Brown Cow Inn and The Farmers Arms at Frankby beat a record number of entrants to be named as finalists.

Iconic Liverpool tavern The Bridewell has been shortlisted in the final six for the Best City Pub award. The building in Campbell Square, which was once a prison, dates from the mid-19th Century and has been lovingly converted into a pub, with the cells now used as seating areas.

Taken over by well known and respected Liverpool licensees Fiona and Dominic Hornsby in June 2019, the pub has gone from strength to strength. Earlier this year, the popular city centre inn was once again named Liverpool’s pub of the year by CAMRA’s local branch after beating off competition from hundreds of rivals.

The Hightown Pub & Kitchen, in Sefton, has been shortlisted in two categories: Best Pub for Entertainment and Best Pub for Families. The family-run establishment in the coastal village of Hightown - which was recently named one of the poshest places to live in Britain - serves locally sourced fresh produce, craft beers and is dog friendly.

The Brown Cow Inn in Gateacre has been nominated as Admiral Taverns Pub of the Year. The listed building underwent an extensive £275,000 renovation in 2021, which gave the community pub a new lease of life and added a beer garden with enough space for 200 people.

The Farmers Arms, in Frankby, Wirral, has been shortlisted as Stonegate Group Pub Partners Pub of the Year. The traditional country pub is situated in idyllic Royden Park. It serves gastro food, has a wide selection of beers, cask ales and boasts ‘the largest beer garden on The Wirral’.

The quartet of pubs must now host a judges visit before finding out if they have scooped an award.