GOAT Nantwich has been named 'Best Pub to Watch Sports' at the Great British Pub Awards 2026, just 13 months after launching on High Street.

The Nantwich town centre venue has been recognised for its distinctive sporting identity, strong food and drink offer and commitment to its local community.

The prestigious accolade recognises the role of great pubs in British life, as well as celebrating the businesses and people behind them.

In its 27th year, the Great British Pub Awards is one of the UK's longest running and most respected celebrations of the pub trade, attracting more than 1,000 entries from pubs across Great Britain every year.

At the ceremony that took place on Wednesday evening (23 September), GOAT took the top spot for Best Pub to Watch Sports following entries being assessed and shortlisted by industry experts.

The judging process included a visit to each finalist's pub, giving the business an opportunity to demonstrate what makes it special in person, followed by a final panel interview grilling from industry experts.

Opened in August 2025 by co-owners Sam, Jono, Gary Evans and Sam Rook, GOAT has transformed a former small supermarket and café-bar into a dedicated sports destination.

Its sporting identity is brought to life throughout the venue, from replica football shirts and vintage football cards to football programmes set beneath glass tabletops, neon GOAT logos and its distinctive red and black branding.

At the heart of the experience are 14 screens, all positioned to give customers clear sightlines from across the bar, showing a mix of live sport.

A covered outdoor terrace also features a large screen, while an interactive dartboard provides another way for customers to get involved between matches.

Food and drink have been given equal attention, with the team putting a premium spin on classic sports-bar fare.

Burgers, wings, sharing platters and hot dogs are joined by a selection of burgers named after sporting greats including Zinedine Zidane, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Serena Williams.

The team also spent three months working with a local butcher to develop its own burger beef blend.

The drinks menu combines mainstream favourites with a wide range of beer and cider, including an extensive no and low-alcohol selection, alongside premium spirits, wines and a house gin created in collaboration with a distillery in Oswestry.

GOAT's approach also extends to making the bar accessible and welcoming to a wide range of customers.

Working with a customer who is registered blind, the team has developed Braille and large-print menus, as well as dyslexia-friendly versions printed on different coloured backgrounds.

The Nantwich bar has built strong links with the local sporting community, sponsoring men's, women's, children's and disabled sports teams in the area.

Editor at The Morning Advertiser and host of Lock In Podcast, Ed Bedington,who was head judge at the awards said: "GOAT is a brilliant example of what a modern sports pub can be.

"The team has created a venue with a really strong identity, where every detail has been considered to make watching sport feel like an occasion.

"From the sightlines across all 14 screens and the sporting touches throughout the venue to the quality of the food and drink, there's a real sense that this has been built by people who understand what sports fans want."

With a strong digital presence, including more than 45,000 Instagram followers, GOAT has also built a sizeable audience around its events, sporting moments and food and drink offer.

GOAT Nantwich is open 5pm to 12am (Monday and Tuesday), 12pm to 12am (Wednesday and Thursday), 11.30am to 2am (Friday) 10.30am to 2am (Saturday) and 11.30am to 12am (Sunday).

READ MORE: Nantwich finalists among stars of Everybody Awards 2026 shortlist.

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