NEWPORT city-centre pub The Lamb has completed its transformation from unloved bar to ‘Best Pub in the City’ after scooping an award from the Campaign for Real Ale.

The beer club, which has over 100,000 members and takes an active role in singling out Britain’s best pubs, gave the award to The Lamb for the general high quality of its offering, great food and its extensive cask ale range, which boasts an array of local and national beers.

The prize is the icing on the cake for the pub, which is unrecognisable from its former self – after an extensive £125,000 refurbishment in 2013.

The significant overhaul of the Lamb by owner Admiral Taverns came after the community pub group saw potential to transform the venue into a thriving city centre inn. The development works saw the 150-year-old hostelry increase its cask ale offering from zero hand pumps to five, as well as the installation of a new kitchen.

The Lamb has since positioned itself as a ‘London-style pub in the heart of Newport’, and is focused on engaging both the local community and the city’s young professional workers.

William Pannell, manager of The Lamb, commented on the award win: “Quality is extremely important to us – from the beer, to the service, to the atmosphere – striving towards excellence is key. I believe our commitment to quality and the fact that we have revived a great city-centre pub, is the reason why we won the CAMRA award.”

The Newport pub has continued to build strong links with local businesses – particularly breweries – and regularly hosts ‘Meet the Brewery’ nights. These events involve a local brewer visiting The Lamb and sharing their views and industry insights with the pub’s customers, as well as leading some tutored beer tastings.

Gino Rabaiotti, licensee of the Admiral pub, said: “Our aim is to ensure we’re always offering real ale, good food and making The Lamb a pub people are excited to return to. The CAMRA award was a fantastic achievement and it’s one that the entire team at The Lamb deserve.”

After the refurbishments, The Lamb was able to boost its credentials further with BII and beer training for all staff. The pub has since secured Cask Marque accreditation.