Just four years after punters were reportedly taking drugs off the bar, a flat-roofed pub in Willenhall has been named among the best community pubs in Britain. The Milestone in New Invention, under the management of Ryan Perrins and his husband Dr Ben Colliver, has reached the final six in the Best Community Pub category of this year's Great British Pub Awards.
Ryan, 33, from nearby Short Heath, remembers his first visit to the pub vividly. "When I came to view the place, they were doing drugs off the bar," he said. The pub had a rough reputation and was far from the kind of place where you would find pensioners knitting on a Thursday afternoon.
From a rough local to a community hub
The couple took over The Milestone in November 2022. The very next day, environmental health officers from Walsall arrived and threatened to shut the premises down. "There were pests - that was nothing to do with me. I got the keys, we scrubbed it to bits," Ryan explained. The kitchen had never really opened under the previous ownership, and the pub was known for fighting and drug activity.
Ryan, who runs the pub full time, handles everything from front of house and the kitchen to the back office. Meanwhile, Ben, 34, balances a part-time role behind the scenes alongside his work as a "top professor" of Criminology and Sociology at Birmingham City University, as Ryan puts it. "He does all the sensible stuff, which frees me up to do more community stuff and the day-to-day running."
The transformation has been remarkable. "We got rid of the idiots, the bad eggs, and turned it round. As you can see, now we have a beautiful pub," said Ryan. The pub now hosts a safe space club attended by around 35 people, weekly reiki healing sessions, and operates a foodbank using surplus food from Aldi. Regular charity events are also held on the premises.
Community feel and loyal customers
Ryan said that some customers have effectively 'followed him' to The Milestone from his previous roles. "They're all slowly coming in," he noted. "Some of them come and do a craft club, they followed me up here. A few others followed me up, too. It's a nice, friendly and welcoming atmosphere."
This year was the first time the couple had entered the Great British Pub Awards. They found themselves competing against pubs from Dorset, Berkshire, and Norfolk. "To get this far, in the top six out of thousands of pubs that have entered, is an achievement," said Ryan. "But I want gold."
Awards final and judge visit
The final takes place at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on September 23. Before then, a head judge is due to visit the pub, though it will be unannounced and discreet. "They can turn up at any time, you wouldn't know," Ryan said. "They'll come in to look around the pub, get the vibe, and then they'll make themselves known. But they haven't been yet."
The couple learned they had been shortlisted while on holiday in Egypt. Since returning, they have been overwhelmed by messages of support from regulars and the wider community. Ryan expressed heartfelt thanks to several key people, including his husband Ben, Marion from Community Matters, and Beverley from the Air Ambulance. He also praised all staff and customers, as well as Steve and Rachel Matthews, who have raised money for the Teenage Cancer Trust following the tragic loss of their son.
