The Branch likes to recognise the very best of the great pubs we have here in South Oxfordshire, so it was with great pleasure that we presented the Branch’s Autumn Pub of the Season 2021 Award to Andre and Pey McCowan of the King William IV at Ipsden, on Friday 12th November.

The King Willie is of course a lovely 17th century country pub, with some of the most beautiful views possible over the sweeping Chiltern hills. The pub itself is a classic old brick and flint construction, complete with inglenook fireplace and oozes a truly cozy and welcoming charm. Andre and Pey have been running the pub for about 5 years now, and have really enhanced the reputation of the pub – firstly by providing a great seasonal food menu all made with quality local ingredients, and secondly, and very close to CAMRA’s heart of course, is that it serves a great pint of real ale.

The King Willie is a Brakspear pub, and Andre and Pey serve their Brakspear Gravity (or Pale Ale, or Bitter, or Ordinary, or Ord as most of us local folks still like to call it!) straight from the barrel – so the Gravity is served by Gravity!, and we believe it is the only Brakspear pub that still serves their beer in this very traditional way. And maybe partly because of this, but also how well looked-after the beer is, many of us in the local CAMRA Branch are of the opinion that it is the best pint of Brakspear ale that you can get in these parts!!