The Old Post Office: former village post office in Adlington wins CAMRA 'Pub of the Season'

Although less than a year old, the former village post office turned tap bar has been awarded the Central Lancashire branch of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA), Pub Of The Season for Autumn which will be presented to them in the bar on Thursday evening.

Bolton’s Escape Brewery and MV Pub Group merged together to open the micro bar located at 161 Chorley Road run by Philip Wray, Dave Cross and Adam Smith.

The trio came together through a love of home brewing which started out in a garage.

Looking to fill a gap in the market specialising in bringing quality cask ales and craft beers to the village, Escape have been looking to open a bar since Philip, Dave and Adam set-up the brewery and started brewing commercially in August 2019.

They identified Adlington as being the ideal location for what they wanted to offer.

With a modern approach to decor with blue panelled walls and wooden floors, a traditional cosy feel still lingers and is matched with three cask ales on handpumps serving Escape Brewery ales with additional keg lines for craft ales from smaller north west breweries such as Rivington, Chain House and Twisted Wheel as well as quality lagers, cocktails and ciders to choose from. A beer garden to the side and rear is also available.

Explaining the ethos behind the bar, Adam said: "The emphasis of the bar is to provide a classy informal venue for the people in the area to socialise and enjoy quality real ales, craft beers, gins, wines and spirits.

"The Old Post Office will always have a rotating range of Escape cask ales on the bar, but will also have guest beers on both cask and keg from other quality local breweries and breweries a bit further afield that don’t often get to sell their beer in the area.

“This is an achievement we are immensely proud of, particular in our first year of trading."

With a home delivery service also available, he added that plans were afoot to increase capacity and expand.