Peterborough watering holes shortlisted for Beard Friendly Pub of the Year

The Stoneworks in Church Street and The Bumble Inn in Westgate have made the annual list compiled by the Beard Liberation Front, which said it has been “surveying pubs for beard friendliness for the past couple of months”.

It has now compiled a shortlist with voters able to add their own option which will be included on the poll if it receives more than one per cent of the overall vote.

BLF organiser Keith Flett said: “We are not interested in pubs where someone once saw a person with a beard at the bar. It is rather more serious than that, but it’s not that serious…”

The criteria include:

. Beard Friendly Pub: a pub that welcomes the hirsute and often has a significant number of hirsute customers, including but certainly not confined to those with modern styles of beards.

. Beard Friendly Ambience: a pub that may have fewer hirsute customers but is welcoming to the hirsute through some bearded bar staff and beard friendly beers, plus has a generally relaxed atmosphere for all.

Tom Beran, owner of The Bumble Inn, said the micropub is “happy to welcome bearded and non-bearded customers alike!”

He added: “I personally have the pleasure of being a former nominee for a previous Beard Liberation Front award for Beard of the Season while running a pub in London where I was beaten by football pundit Alan Hansen.

“I also received a special certificate for services to beard friendly drinking from the Beard Liberation front while in a previous pub so I am no stranger to the award or the BLF themselves.

“We were in the running last year and were sadly unplaced, so fingers crossed that we can take the title this year - I hope readers of the PT can vote for us on the simple online poll.”

Sean Page, who co-owns The Stoneworks, a city centre bar, said: “We bow in the presence of our true hipster icons The Bumble Inn. They epitomise the hipster beard movement and make us strive to be better! Long live The Bumble Inn and their hipster beards!”

The Beard Liberation Front says it welcomes diversity in both appearance and drinking. “The truly beard friendly pub will have a genuine mix of customers, not just a load of old blokes grumbling about life,” it added.

The list includes a range of pubs, bars and tap rooms without attempting to classify into sections.

The 2019 winner was The Cock Tavern in Hackney.

Voting closes on Sunday. To vote, visit: https://kmflett.wordpress.com/2020/01/02/vote-for-beard-friendly-pub-of-the-year-2020-is-now-open/ or click here.