King Charles Tavern named West Berkshire Pub of the Year by CAMRA
"It's like winning the World Cup"
CAMRA judges raised a glass to the King Charles Tavern in Newbury after naming it West Berkshire pub of the year.
The community pub, known by locals as the KC or the KCT, received the honour during a special ceremony last week that saw members of West Berkshire CAMRA join regulars and staff for a pint or two.
The Grade II-listed pub is owned by the Bury St Edmunds brewer, Greene King, and was this year also named in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide.
The pub has been under the stewardship of landlord and former restaurateur Joshua Khan since 2014.
A delighted Mr Khan, who ran his first pub in the former Soviet Union where he grew up, said: “For me this was like winning the World Cup – it’s such a great feeling. We’ve managed to create a community pub right in the town centre, which was our main goal, but also maintaining the quality in our ales and our food.
“My feeling is that a pub should be a pub, where people of all ages can come to drink, socialise and get to know one another.
“Gaining entry into the CAMRA Good Beer Guide in our first year was a very important goal to us, but now, to be recognised as the best pub in West Berkshire is fantastic.
“It is an award for everyone my side of the bar, but most important, for our customers – regulars and newcomers alike."
The chairman of West Berks CAMRA Richard Scullion, said: “Joshua has worked wonders with the KCT. In his first full 12 months he achieved an entry into CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide, no mean feat given the stiff competition in our area.
“Now, to follow this with the accolade of our Pub of the Year is both a credit to him, but demonstrates how the combination of an innovative landlord and flexible tenancy agreements can bring outstanding results.”
The King Charles Tavern is now going forward to compete for the CAMRA Berkshire Pub of the Year and Mr Kahn said he aims to continue working to improve the pub.
“We have lots of ideas,” said the 45-year-old landlord.
“We now have a ‘Customer of the month’ award which has proved very popular, and we’re also looking at serving authentic Indian cuisine from my family recipes, so we hope to continue growing.
“The day I will stop improving is the day I retire from this and do something else.