A judging panel says a Forfar pub serves the best quality pints in Scotland.
Castle Street establishment The Stag scooped the prize at the Scottish Licenced Trade News Awards on Thursday.
Host Martin Compston and guest speaker James Corden gave them their award at Glasgow’s Hilton.
Stag owner and manager Susan Campbell said: “It’s a great achievement.
“We’ve been in the top three for the last four years and this year we won it for a second time.”
Susan revealed that it takes quite a lot of effort to produce the country’s best pint.
She said: “We’re quite stringent in keeping everything in order. We’ve got processes and procedures for everything.
“We keep a timescale as to when it gets done, which is very frequently.
“We don’t let the quality of our beer slack.”
The awards are based on feedback from a judging panel appointed by Scottish Licenced Trade News.
Susan said: “They generally judge on Tennent’s, but they also judge on the entire pub. It’s the building, the cellar, it’s the pipes and how you clean.
“There’s a whole big list they go through, they’ve got pages of checks to go through.
“There’s a lot to it. We have to keep records of things.”
Forfar pub wins best quality pint accolade
Susan said that being away from the big cities limits the beers The Stag can stock.
She said: “We cater for who the people are in the town.
“The best-selling beer we have is Tennent’s but we’ve put some different ones on for a change.
“If anyone asks for a specific beer we’ll give it a try.
“Our kegs aren’t different to anyone else, it’s the quality we put in.
“With Tennent’s it has to be done properly.
“If the temperature or the cooler isn’t right you’ll get a rubbish pint.
“How you look after everything goes towards making a good pint.
“That’s what we’ve been recognised for, the overall care of everything we do.
“From the time the keg is delivered to when we serve it to the customer.
“It’s the overall package.
“Other pubs may not put in the same amount of care that we put in.
“We’re constantly doing it and customers can tell the difference.”
Stag owner celebrates award win
Susan was joined at the ceremony by colleague Kim Henderson.
Susan said: “It was a really good night.
“You got your cocktails on arrival and there’s a three-course meal.
“Then there’s the after-party after the awards.
“He (Corden) was on good form, no one knew who it was until they announced it. He was really funny.”
As well as the pints, you can also visit The Stag for a cosy dinner.
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