The Pen-y-Bryn, Upper Colwyn

The Pen-y-Bryn is a pub in Upper Colwyn Bay, on the North Wales coast, trading as part of the Brunning & Price group of pubs. It occupies a building originally constructed in the early 1980s by David Taylor, then manager of the Royal Hotel in Colwyn Bay, and opened for business as 'Taylors' in late 1983. The pub was sold to Ray Perry in 1998 and subsequently acquired by Brunning & Price, which refurbished it and operates it under the Pen-y-Bryn name. The pub sits just outside the centre of Colwyn Bay, a location chosen partly to avoid the town's drinking circuit, and its garden and terrace look out over the sea towards the Great Orme. Inside, the Pen-y-Bryn presents a traditional but comfortable pub interior with oak floors, open fires, bookcases and old furniture. Its kitchen focuses on fresh, quality ingredients prepared in a modern yet unpretentious style, with a menu built around classic British dishes and complemented by more exotic influences. Cask ales are a central part of the offer, and the pub has been listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide repeatedly, including every year from 2004 to 2014. It has also been recognised by the Sustainable Restaurant Association's Food Made Good programme. The pub is one of a family of Brunning & Price houses that began in the North West of England and North Wales and later expanded into the South of England, each with its own individual style. It runs a mailing list and social media channels, hosts events such as an Oktoberfest evening and seasonal pub walks, and offers online table booking. As a Brunning & Price site, it is a managed pub rather than an independent free house, and it forms part of a wider group portfolio rather than trading as a standalone listed company.

The Pen-y-Bryn's history is closely tied to its building and to the Brunning & Price pub group. The site in Upper Colwyn Bay was originally developed by David Taylor, who at the time was the manager of the Royal Hotel in the middle of Colwyn Bay. Taylor decided he wanted to build his own pub. According to a local, Martin McHale, the plot of land came up for grabs in the early 1980s and was sought both by David Taylor and by a local house builder; Taylor secured the site, and the two men reportedly never spoke to each other again. Many of the bricks in the external walls and other construction materials were acquired by Taylor following the demolition of a substantial number of properties between Old Colwyn and the West End of Colwyn Bay to make way for the new A55 dual carriageway in the early 1980s. The pub opened for business as 'Taylors' in late 1983. David Taylor sold the pub to Ray Perry in 1998, and it was subsequently bought by Brunning & Price. Brunning & Price had begun in the North West of England and North Wales, and by the time it acquired the Colwyn Bay site it was already operating pubs such as the Glasfryn in Mold, which drew customers from a wide stretch of the North Wales coast. The group was aware that there were relatively few appealing places to eat and drink between Anglesey and Chester, and the Colwyn Bay pub's location, just far enough out of town to avoid the drinking circuit, together with its sea views, made it an attractive acquisition. After refurbishment, the pub traded under the Pen-y-Bryn name, with an interior featuring oak floors, open fires, bookcases and old furniture. Under Brunning & Price, the Pen-y-Bryn developed a reputation for fresh food and cask ales. It was listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, and it has also been recognised by the Sustainable Restaurant Association's Food Made Good programme. The pub maintains a mailing list and social media presence, hosts events such as an Oktoberfest evening and autumn pub walks, and offers online booking. Brunning & Price itself continued to expand, adding pubs in the South of England while retaining the individual character of each house, and the Pen-y-Bryn remains part of that group portfolio.

• 2014

  Listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for the eleventh consecutive year.

• 2004

  Listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for the first of eleven consecutive years.

• 1998

  David Taylor sells the pub to Ray Perry.

• 1983

  The pub opens for business as 'Taylors', built by David Taylor.

A traditional yet comfortable Brunning & Price pub offering fresh, unpretentious British food and well-kept cask ales, distinguished by its sea views towards the Great Orme and its garden and terrace.

• Cask ales

  A core part of the offer, recognised by repeated Good Beer Guide listings.

• Classic British dishes

  The menu's spine, complemented by more exotic influences.

• Fresh seasonal food

  Prepared, cooked and presented in a modern but unpretentious way.

1. 1Fresh Food & Cask Ales - Pen-y-Bryn Pub | Sea Views & Garden, Great Ormebrunningandprice.co.uk
2. 2History of the pub - Pen-y-Bryn Pub | Sea Views & Garden, Great Ormebrunningandprice.co.uk
3. 3Brunning & Price | Our Pubs & Storybrunningandprice.co.uk
4. 4The Pen-y-Bryn, Upper Colwyn - Wikidatawikidata.org