‘My in-laws run the pub, my husband works in the kitchen, and even my four-year-old son helps out pulling pints’

This week’s pub is in one of the Ribble Valley’s more ‘out of the way’ villages and boasts a cracking selection of niche beers.

The Swan With Two Necks in Pendleton won CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2013 and continues to delight drinkers thanks to its landlord of 37 years’ love of all things from a pint glass.

The Lancashire Telegraph spoke to Danielle from the Dilworth family who’ve been running the pub for decades.

Introduce yourself

My name is Danielle Dilworth and I’ve been working at The Swan With Two Necks for nine years.

Danielle (left) with her husband, Daniel, and landlord and landlady, Christine and Steve DilworthDanielle (left) with her husband, Michael, and landlord and landlady, Christine and Steve Dilworth (Image: The Swan With Two Necks) What’s the pub like to work at?

It’s great you feel such a part of the community, we’re only a small village and you just become a part of people’s lives, seeing all the familiar faces and such. 

There is a sad side to that in the sense that a lot of the villagers are elderly and do die, but then new faces come in and become part of the community.

We had someone yesterday come out of the hospital and the first place they wanted to go was here.

What’s the village like?

Pendleton is very quiet, even by Ribble Valley standards. We get a lot of walkers, a bowling group that comes into the pub every Thursday as well, and everybody knows everybody.

I suppose you could say it’s like the classic chocolate box village, it’s really lovely.

Some younger faces are starting to come in now as well because their parents have lived here and they have heard how nice it is.

Do you do food?

We’re very much renowned in the area for our food. We’re not cheap and cheerful, our food is home-cooked, with lots of pies and meats.

The most popular thing we do is the jam roly poly, people really love that.  It’s nothing unique but the customers don’t complain, they can’t get enough!

The outside marque with heaters, at the pubThe outside marque with heaters, at the pub (Image: The Swan With Two Necks) Why do you think you’ve won so many CAMRA awards?

Without a doubt because of my father-in-law Steve, beer is his passion, he’s always trying new ones to find beers people have never heard of, always on the hunt. 

The joke is that he is always in the cellar talking to his barrels.

What’s the draught line-up?

  • London Thunder from Roosters

  • Jarl from Fyne Ales

  • Mosaic from Stewart Brewing

  • White Rat from Ossett Brewery

  • Haybob from Farmyard Breweries

  • Dortmunder Union

  • Appleshed Ciders

  • Citra IPA

The ale selectionThe ale selection (Image: The Swan With Two Necks) So, no Carling or Fosters then?

No definitely not.

How is working with the family?

It’s really good, it must be if I’ve been here for nine years!

I’ve got a little lad who’s four, and we’ve got him telling customers what to do, even pulling pints and helping out with the pastry in the kitchen.

Steve and Christine have been landlord and landlady for 37 years now, so they are celebrities in the village.

What’s the best thing about working in the pub?

The faces we get, the new and the old, every day is different and you just don’t know what to expect but that’s the best bit!