THE popular landlord of a family-run pub in Broughton is enjoying a double celebration after scooping a major award on the anniversary of his fourteenth year at the helm.
Scott Varty, whose family took over the reins of the Manor Arms on The Square in 1988, found out this week his iconic hostelry has been named CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Furness Pub of the Year 2023.
The pub last won the award in 2019, and has wrested the title back from Old Friends in Ulverston, who landed the last two, with 2021 being scrapped due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I've done this most of my life, I really enjoy it, and that's all anybody can ask for", Scott said.
"I was a 10-year-old schoolboy when we moved here – I went off to college to do some background qualifications, came back and worked in the pub with my dad, and never looked back!
"We don't serve food, so it makes staffing a lot easier, which is a problem for most pubs at the minute, and it allows us to concentrate on serving great beer."
The Manor Arms serves up two permanent ales, as well as five guest ales, pouring local brews as well as favourites from Fyne Ales in Scotland and Abbeydale in Sheffield.
Scott also had a special birthday beer commissioned for the occasion, Bosses Bitter.
He said: "We were selling all drinks at £3 a pint, and even put some nibbles out, just to show some appreciation for all the customers who have supported us throughout the years."
Cumbria County Councillor for High Furness, Matt Brereton, and fan of the Manor Arms, thinks Scott deserves all the plaudits he gets.
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He said: "The Manor’s renowned as one of the best pubs in the area, so it's a significant milestone, and a real good news story at a time when everyone in hospitality and society as a whole needs a lift.
"Scott's very well regarded in the community and well-known – he doesn’t go in for a lot of fuss but he really does deserve some recognition.
"It's a great counterpoint to some of the more depressing stories surrounding pubs in Broughton closing or being demolished."
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