The Brownhill Arms, Blackburn, finalist in Best Pub 2025

Ten pubs are currently battling it out for your votes to be named the Lancashire Telegraph’s Best Pub 2025, with the Brownhill Arms, in Whalley New Road, one of your finalists.

Taken over by Wesley and Beryl Smith in 2018, the pub marked the start of them working in business together.

Outside the Brownhill Arms (Image: Beryl Smith) However, after Wesley’s death in September, Beryl had considered moving on from the pub.

Beryl said: “If we won this, it would mean a lot for me as it could have gone way or another, and I am so proud of myself and my staff, and it means so much to me.

“It would just lift me a little bit. I have been here seven years, but when my husband passed away in September I was considering if I should carry on, but I just love it here.

“It has been a struggle emotionally, but everything at the pub has been fine, and I am glad I did now, because the pub is doing well.

“I think he would be so proud that I kept it on and that we are doing so well.”

Having previously worked in catering, Beryl and Wesley, who was an engineer, wanted to run the pub centred on the community.

(Image: Beryl Smith) To achieve this, they have barred 143 people in the last seven years, mainly for drug use and anti-social behaviour, to ensure it was a nice family pub for those who wanted to use it properly.

READ MORE: The mother and daughter team bidding to be named East Lancashire's Best Pub

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Beryl added: “It is more of a community pub than anything else, and we have a lot of people who are old and on their own and who want to come in for a chat.

"We do a lot of funerals, and it is usually people who are local anyway, and they just want somewhere comfortable.

“It is just a nice family atmosphere, and I have noticed it more since my husband died.

"At one time, I thought, what am I going to do, but the community there just shows you are running a good pub.

“The more people barred, the nicer people we have coming in, and that is what happened. It is a lovely pub. I am just so proud of it.”

Additionally, the pub has numerous events, including a darts team, poker night, open mic nights and entertainment every weekend.

Over the next two weeks, readers will have the chance to vote for their favourite by picking up a copy of the Lancashire Telegraph and submitting a voting slip, with the winners announced next month.

Each finalist will be featured in the Lancashire Telegraph in the coming days, highlighting what makes them a great choice.