Campaign For Real Ale

National recognition for the Old Mill

It is always good to read about a success story, especially right here in our hometown of Leek.

The Old Mill Smokehouse and Craft Beer Bar in Haywood Street opened its doors in November 2018. It followed a massive conversion of two floors of the former Masons textile mill, more recently Haywood Antiques.

It was the brainchild of the business owner and local man Nathan Walwyn and wife Bernadetta. They wanted to create something different for Leek and went on extensive ‘research’ tours, visiting many places in both the UK and abroad to see what they thought would work well in the grand old Victorian building.

They wanted to build on the already well established real ale and craft beer scene that Leek is famous for, as well as make a different kind of food offering. The ground level bar area boasts three cask ales and up to ten keg craft beers which range from easy drinking session beers to specialist (and very strong) imperial stouts sourced from local, UK wide and international breweries. The first floor restaurant area offers a range of freshly prepared food, cooked, grilled and barbecued right in front of diners.

The whole of the building was painstakingly stripped back to its original brickwork shell and has been sympathetically but comfortably furnished with minimally nonintrusive industrial type materials such as reclaimed wood for the bar, steel and wooden beams, plus scaffolding poles and planks making up the majority of the tables and seating.

This minimalist approach, the attention to detail and making the most of the industrial heritage of the building is what impressed the judges of the CAMRA Buildings Committee who have awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate to The Old Mill in the Conversion to Pub Use Category in the CAMRA National Pub Design Awards.

The original presentation was scheduled for a glitzy national awards ceremony in April of last year. But as the dreadful Covid pandemic took hold and everything that moved was ordered to close by the Government, it never actually took place.

I was very happy indeed to present the long overdue certificate to the Old Mill in September on behalf of the National CAMRA Awards Committee. All credit goes to Nathan, Bernadetta and the whole team for the success that The Old Mill clearly is.

It once again proves, as if proof were needed, what a great place Leek is to live and to visit, with its wide range of pubs and bars, to dine out and soak up its naturally friendly atmosphere among great local people. Cheers!

Steve Barton Chairman of the Staffordshire Moorlands branch of CAMRA