Greater Manchester pub described as 'hidden gem' could soon be crowned the best in Britain

A pub in Greater Manchester is in the running to be crowned CAMRA's Pub of the year for 2023. The awards have categories for the best pubs, clubs and cider across the UK, and Oldham's Fox & Pine has been shortlisted in the top 16.

Yesterday evening, the pub on Greaves Street was named Greater Manchester's Pub of the Year at the Great British Beer Festival. Once all 16 regional finalists have been announced, they'll be in the running to take the National Pub of the Year crown - one of the highest accolades given to Britain’s pubs.

While the Fox & Pine is relatively new addition to Oldham's pub scene, its owners, Chris and Michelle Riley are hospitality veterans having worked for a number of brewers and pubs over the years. Their experience has gone a long way, and last year they took home CAMRA's Rochdale, Oldham and Bury Branch Pub of the Year - an award their sister pub Cob and Coal at Tommyfield Market scooped the year before after opening in 2019.

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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Chris Riley, co-owner and landlord said: "To be in the top 16 is superb. All our staff are chuffed to bits, and we've got some brilliant customers and hopefully be might get a few more visitors off the back of this.

"We signed for the pub in lockdown around May 2020, but because it was derelict it took us a while to find builders so we did a soft launch in October, but then we got locked down again, so it was a tough beginning but we got there.

"I've been in the pub game all my life, started in pubs after I left university in 1996 and went straight into working for JW Lees for nine then went to Weatherspoon's where I worked as a pub