The manager of The Windsor Trooper has paid tribute to his hard-working staff after the venue was named Pub of the Year by a branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.
The St Leonards Road watering hole picked up the coveted accolade for the first time following a vote by CAMRA’s members in Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead.
The award marks more than five years of transformation at the venue since owners End Product Inns took over the pub in July 2019.
Manager James Waud said: “The biggest thing about the pub and why it is so successful is the staff.
“Everyone that works here, you can see they work hard but ultimately they are very nice and that helps keeping the customers coming back to us.”
James’ involvement at The Windsor Trooper followed an unlikely career change where he swapped performing in musical theatre for the hustle and bustle of running a pub at the heart of the Windsor community.
The pub underwent a much-needed renovation when End Product Inns initially took over but then faced the immense challenge of staying afloat amid coronavirus restrictions.
The Trooper managed to navigate this challenging period and made improvements to the venue, including expanding the beer garden to cater for up to 140 people.
The selection of drinks on offer has also continued to grow, aided by partnerships with Windsor-based breweries, Indie Rabble and Two Flints.
“We came in and we wanted to try and improve the sale of cask ale but that has taken a while. It just wasn’t a thing known for in this pub,” James said.
“I think the drinking culture in Windsor seems to have changed in the last five years and more people are drawn to cask ale now.”
He added: “One of the things we get complimented on a lot is our pricing compared to the centre of town which has more touristy prices.
“Where we’re located at the far end of Peascod Street and St Leonards Road, we’re in the heart of the local community of people who live here.”
The St Leonards Road spot was also named Cider Pub of the Year for the fourth time running.
But after losing out in recent years to popular drinking spot, A Hoppy Place, James was delighted to finally scoop the top award.
He added: “It’s great that people have noticed the hard work that we’ve put in here and to be consistently in the running for a number of years like we have done shows the team are doing great work here.
“From going to musical theatre in late December 2018 to be the manager of an award-winning-pub is a great feeling.”
He also thanked his bosses at End Product Inns, Mark Powell and John Cusworth, for their dedication as well as building owner Gary Burlison.
Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead branch of CAMRA's 'Pub of the Year':
1: The Windsor Trooper
2: A Hoppy Place, Maidenhead
3: The White Horse, Hedgerley
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