Good Beer accolades for John O'Groats with two entries
John O'Groats has won the accolade of boasting two entries in the 50th anniversary edition of the Good Beer Guide.
Both the Seaview Hotel and the Last House have secured a coveted entry in the 2023 publication.
Mark Gibson, secretary of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) Highland and Western Isles, described it as "an extraordinary achievement for the small community on the far north coast".
"The significance of getting into the guide is not just the prestige, but at a time of great difficulties for the hospitality industry it is an important accolade and could increase visitor numbers," he added.
The Last House has been listed for the first time in the Good Beer Guide, despite only opening in 2019. It joins the Seaview Hotel in John O’Groats in the 50th anniversary edition. The small bar, overlooking the Pentland Firth at the end of the road in John O’Groats, is proving very popular with visitors and locals alike, says Mark.
"John O’Groats now has two pubs listed in the Beer Guide. This is a fantastic achievement for a small village and testimony to the work put in to creating and serving a quality product. Well done to both the Seaview Hotel and the Last House for becoming one of the small number of pubs in the Highlands to make it into this very special 50th edition of the guide."
Camra is one of the most successful consumer organisations in Europe. Founded by four beer lovers in 1971, it now represents around 160,000 beer drinkers and pub goers across the UK. Its vision is to have quality real ale, cider and perry and thriving pubs and clubs in every community.
Camra’s Good Beer Guide is the UK’s best-selling beer and pub guide and surveys 4500 of the best pubs across the country. It is called "the definitive beer drinker’s guide to the very best pints in the most picturesque and friendly pubs" and is compiled by thousands of independent volunteers to help identify significant trends and themes across the pub sector.
The 50th anniversary edition features a new cover design by Neil Gower, a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales and an introduction to each region by Laura Hadland – award-winning author of 50 Years of Camra. It brings together pub and brewery information for the first time, making it easier than ever before to find your next local brew
Andrew Mowat from the Seaview Hotel joined forces with the John O’Groats Brewery which set up a four barrel brewery in the Old Fire Station at John o Groats in 2015. From there, they started producing a range of cask ales, starting by selling bottles locally and then distributing across the north of Scotland. They expanded into the oldest building in John O’Groats, the Last House, in 2019, installing a new brewery, bar and visitor centre.