This attractive free house stands on the village green and is the first community owned pub in Great Britain. There is an ever changing list of beers and many are from small breweries. Landlords, Ray and Jo, prepare the fresh home made food with many of the ingredients sourced locally. The pub hosts the village cricket teams. A regular winner of branch pub of the Year and East Anglia Regional Pub of the Year in 2019. Holder of a CAMRA 50th anniversary golden award.
Historic Interest
The history of the two cottages, which now form the Red Lion, can be traced back at least to the beginning of the 18th century.
Community Owned
Freehold Owner: Private Limited Company (1). Year Purchased 1983.
The Red Lion became the first community-owned pub in Great Britain; an idea that has been replicated many times since. But what the villagers of Preston achieved in 1982 was ground breaking.
A Board of Directors was created and a call was raised in the village to come forward with any skills and talents that were needed to carry out the substantial alterations, repairs and refurbishments that were necessary. Materials were sourced from all over the country and the bar itself was an old church pew from Yorkshire.
The project is still successfully running today – run by a Board of Directors from the village in conjunction with Managers, Ray and Jo Lambe – on behalf of the shareholders and other customers alike and is a huge testament to Preston’s community and entrepreneurial spirit. The Red Lion is alive and well and has never been better.
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This Pub serves 4 changing beers (Regularly changing range from local and national micro breweries) and 1 regular beer.
Red Lion, Preston
Source: National