Matt Jackson visited the picturesque town in the West Midlands that is home to a pub crowned Britain’s best, and was stunned to see how much a pint cost
I visited the pub crowned the best in Britain – and was shocked at the price of a pint(Image: Matt Jackson)
The price of a pint continues to increase with some drinkers now regularly finding themselves splashing out more than £7 on a beer, and the average punter now spending more than £5. It’s a far-cry from just 15 years ago when I could regularly find myself spending just £2.50 on a beer.
But nestled in the heart of the Midlands, in the picturesque town of Stone, one pub seems to be rolling back the years. In fact, The Crown Wharf, the flagship venue for brewery chain Joules, has prices that would leave many drinkers simply stunned.
The pub was even crowned Britain’s best at the Great British pub awards last year. The venue proudly boasts that every Joules pint served comes from “down the road in Market Drayton”.
And as someone who has been keen to sample a pub or two over the years, I decided it was time to head just down the M6 from my home in Cheshire and see if the venue truly stacks up as Britain’s best. Fortunately as I arrived in the Staffordshire town, it became immediately apparent that I chose the day for it.
A pint at the Crown Wharf cost me just £3.80(Image: Matt Jackson)
The sun was shining, people were mulling about the canal, and there was a car park just a stone’s throw away from the pub – for your designated drivers of course. After a quick stroll along the canal, I decided to head to the venue.
Upon arrival I was immediately taken aback by how expansive the pub was – it even has its own community theatre that used to be a fire station way back when. After heading down the steps from the main street, and into the venue, I decided to head straight to the bar.
I knew what I was going to order already, for £3.80 it had to be a Joules Citra Blonde. The beer was described as a “light and refreshingly hoppy” beverage, which felt the perfect option for a sun-soaked Sunday venture.
Inside The Crown Wharf(Image: Steve Bould/StokeonTrentLive)
If I wanted to splash the cash a little bit more, I could have found myself stumping up £3.90 for a pale ale, or even £4.60 for a Green Monkey, Joules’ own lager. Even when the bar tender pointed the cash machine at me, I still almost couldn’t believe that in 2026 I was paying just £3.80 for a pint.
Nonetheless, beer in hand I decided to navigate my way through the expansive venue. With the sun still shining, I decided to head straight to the beer garden so I could watch the walkers meandering alongside the canal as the narrowboats bobbed up and down on the water outside.
Inside the Crown Wharf in Stone, Staffordshire(Image: Steve Bould/StokeonTrentLive)
It was almost easy to forget that you were sitting in a beer garden in Staffordshire on an April weekend, a blissful scenario only occasionally interrupted by the gleeful bark of a dog – what pub is complete without a pooch? Or the chirping of birds.
Still caught up on the price of a pint, I found myself wondering what the chain manages to do so differently to others. It was then that I discovered it claims to have “no cans, no bottles, no supermarket shelves” to compete with.
The view from the Crown Wharf’s beer garden(Image: Matt Jackson)
Each of its tipples poured are only available at its own pubs. In fact, the pub’s chief executive Vicky Colclough recently told the Morning Advertiser that it was keen to make sure its beers remain below that £4 price point.
She explained that it was “really important” that the pub remains an “everyday luxury” and not a “weekend or a one-off in the month”. She says the pub chain has “honed down on every recipe”.
The Crown Wharf was crowned Britain’s best(Image: Matt Jackson)
And you could really tell. I would usually, when out and about, plump for a lager, but the idea of a £3.80 pint was too much to pass up, and while it wouldn’t be my normal choice, it was enjoyable, the perfect accompaniment for a sunny weekend.
After polishing off my drink I decided to head into the town for a bit of a walk. The venue had already started to fill up, despite having only just opened when I arrived, with lots of punters looking for their Sunday dinner fix.
Having explored Stone, I decided to head back home, and I can safely see why The Crown Wharf was crowned pub of the year. It’s a spacious venue with fantastic beer and, still mind-boggingly, a £3.80 pint.