Well, this is a pretty bloody big one.

We’ve been named a finalist for Best Town Pub at the 2026 Great British Pub Awards.

And while seeing our name on a national awards shortlist feels incredible, what means even more is why we think we’ve got there.

Because CnB has never just been about opening the doors, pulling pints and hoping people turn up.

We’ve always wanted to do things a little differently.

We’re a pub with a bit more going on

Since opening on Stourbridge High Street in 2017, CnB has grown into something we probably couldn’t have completely imagined at the beginning.

You can come in for a massive burger made with quality local ingredients, take on a ridiculous hot wing challenge, bring the kids in for something to eat (free with a paying adult on Sundays), spend Saturday afternoon at a themed Bottomless Brunch, dance the night away and  you can head out into Yard & Beyond, where we’ve created a whole other side to CnB with live music, DJs and our own Backyard BBQ concept.

Backyard BBQ actually came from our own kitchen team. Our chef Cam had an idea for proper American-style smoked meats, brisket and BBQ food, and we gave him the space to run with it. That’s something we’re really proud of. A lot of what happens here comes from the people who work here having an idea and us saying, “Go on then. Let’s see what happens.”

The food matters. A lot.

Yes, our food is big… some of it is completely outrageous.

But underneath all of that, we care massively about the quality of what we’re putting on the plate.

We work with Hodge Hill Butchery in Kidderminster for our meat, make food fresh and from scratch wherever we can, and our kitchen team are constantly developing new dishes and specials.

From our burgers and buttermilk fried chicken to Backyard BBQ brisket and loaded sides, there is a huge amount of work happening before something lands on your table. We don’t want people to come because something looks good on Instagram and then leave disappointed.

It has to taste bloody good too.

The people behind CnB

The other huge part of this nomination is our team. Some of them have been with us for years. People have grown up here, developed into management roles, learnt new skills and become part of what makes the place feel like CnB. We try to recognise that loyalty too, from anniversary rewards and birthday tabs to a £2,000 holiday for team members who reach five years with us.

There’s graft behind every busy day, every plate leaving the kitchen, every packed event and every new idea we decide to try.

As our deputy manager Soph put it: “This place has never just been ‘a pub’ to us. It is the graft behind the scenes.” And that sums it up pretty perfectly.

Proudly independent. Proudly Stourbridge.

Hospitality is bloody hard at the moment.

Pubs and restaurants are closing, costs continue to rise and people understandably have to think harder about where they spend their money. So we never take it for granted when somebody chooses to spend theirs with us.

That’s why we keep trying new things, creating offers that make eating out more accessible, working with local suppliers and giving people different reasons to come through the doors. But more than anything, we’re proud to be doing all of it here in Stourbridge.

This town is full of brilliant independent businesses and brilliant people, and having Cock ’N’ Bull.Co representing Stourbridge on a national stage means a hell of a lot to us.

Former Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb OBE summed it up beautifully when she congratulated us on “putting the town on the map.”

That’s exactly what we hope we’re doing.

Now we wait…

The winners of the Great British Pub Awards 2026 will be announced on 23 September.

Of course we’d love to bring the Best Town Pub trophy back to Stourbridge. But whatever happens, being recognised nationally for the food, the atmosphere, the ideas, the community and, most importantly, the people behind CnB already feels pretty special.

So to our team, our regulars, our suppliers, our guests and everybody who has supported this slightly bonkers independent pub since 2017…

Thank you.

This one belongs to all of us. Now keep everything crossed.