A FAMILY is celebrating 35 years of running a Bradford pub with a special award.
The Corn Dolly, in Bolton Road has been announced as Bradford CAMRA’s Pub of the Year 2024.
The pub has a prestigious history with CAMRA – the Campaign for Real Ale – over the decades, appearing in the organisation’s Good Beer Guide for more than 30 years and winning 17 awards in total.
One of these was a Special Award for Excellence to mark the three-decade-strong run of being in the guide.
The Corn Dolly was runner-up for Pub of the Year in 2022 – the first time the awards ran after the Covid pandemic - and then won the Inner Bradford Pub of the Year award in 2023 but was pipped to the post of top spot by The Salt Cellar.
Anthony Dunkin, manager of The Corn Dolly, said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to be presented with this award, our team have worked so hard.
“We have won many CAMRA awards over the years which we display with pride, it’s a wonderful year to be Pub of the Year as we celebrate 35 years of the pub being in the family with lots of celebrations and events coming up.
“Lastly, we would like to thank everyone who voted for us.”
Anthony has carried on the family tradition of running the pub since 1989, taking over from his father, Neil, who had taken the reins from his dad.
The Corn Dolly’s history extends much longer than that and is one of Bradford’s oldest surviving pubs.
It was originally called the Wharf Hotel, due to its proximity to the Bradford Canal, a branch of the Leeds and Liverpool from Shipley, which once flowed into the centre of Bradford, and dates back around 185 years.
Neil said to the Telegraph & Argus back in 2021: “The building was sold in 1837 and has been a pub since just after that.
“In its early years it was a John Smith’s pub.”
It has since amassed a collection of more than 1,000 pump clips, which adorn the beams in the pub, and is a popular pint before Bradford City matches.
Anthony said moving forward he wants to continue “providing brilliant quality beer along with brilliant entertainment”.
He added: “I enjoy socialising and having a laugh with locals and keeping the art of cask beer alive.”
Full list of awards:
- Pub of the Year – The Corn Dolly
- Central Pub of the Year – The Corn Dolly
- Runners up – Exchange Craft Beer House; The Fighting Cock
- Outer Bradford Pub of the Year – The Cracker Barrel
- Runners up – The Crafty Kernel; Peacock Bar
- Cider Pub of the Year – Jacobs Well
- Club of the Year – Caroline Street Social Club
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