Pubs and Bars / Beer
This pub officially pours Bristol’s best Guinness
A sign on the wall of the Star already claims the accolade of ‘best pint of Guinness in Bristol’ – but now it has received official confirmation.
The no-frills pub in Fishponds known for its live folk nights and community feel is one of 35 pubs across the country to be featured in the inaugural Guinness Harp Guide.
The guide is a new national benchmark celebrating the top pubs across Britain for not only consistently serving perfect pours but also for their service, atmosphere and dedication to learning the craft of the stout.
A watering hole with a long history, the Star is the sole Bristol recipient of the award.
Eimear Hawes has run the boozer for more than a decade
Landlord Eimear Hawes told Bristol24/7 he was “absolutely delighted”.
“We’ve worked very hard with our Guinness here, so it’s nice to be rewarded.”
He added: “I’m a Northern Irish man. I’m not going to have anybody come in here and say we pour a bad pint of Guinness.”
A sign already proclaims the Fishponds Road pub is Bristol’s best spot for the black stuff
So what is the secret to the perfect pint of Guinness?
“The first is good clean lines,” the 67-year-old said. “The second is the flow. You need a good flow of Guinness and we certainly have that here. The third is how to pour a pint of Guinness and not many people know how to do that properly.
“My staff here are all well trained and the first thing they learn is how to pour a pint of Guinness.”
“If you don’t get one of those three aspects right, it won’t be good.”
The Star once served as the headquarters for Bristol Rovers when they were called the Black Arabs in the 1890s
Eimear took on the pub in 2014 and said he turned its reputation around making it the welcoming social hub it is known as today.
He said: “The pub has changed drastically over the last ten years. The reputation of the Star had when we took it on was so bad that it nearly bankrupted us in the first two years because people refused to come. We’ve totally turned that around.
“Our vision at the start is still our vision today. It’s a community and inclusive bar. We have people who are 18 up to 80 plus, and everyone gets on and mixes well together.”
All pubs featured in the Guinness Harp Guide will receive an official brass harp plaque to recognise their achievements.
Others include the Queens Vaults in Cardiff and the Beckford Arms in Salisbury.
All photos: Betty Woolerton
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