The Blue Anchor nets a hat trick of awards
THE Blue Anchor Inn at East Aberthaw is celebrating a hat trick of prestigious awards - all in the space of just six months. For the family-owned business run by brothers Jeremy and Andrew Coleman, it is an endorsement of the outstanding quality of the food and drinks they offer. The Blue Anchor, built in the year 1380, with its solid medieval, creeper-clad walls and thatched roof, is about as traditional a Welsh public house as there can be - it even featured in a recent ITV series 'Six Great Pubs of Wales'. It nestles in the Vale coastal village of East Aberthaw, and has been making waves nationally by landing The Daily Telegraph Cask Ale Pub of the Year award, the Western Mail and Echo Food Pub of the Year, and entry into the prestigious Michelin Guide. "It is a recognition of the quality of our food," said Jeremy Coleman. "The produce is fresh and sourced locally. We have one and a half acres where we grow our own fruits and vegetables, and the greenhouse is almost as big as the public house!" Jeremy and Andrew's father John supervises much of the home grown food production for the Blue Anchor, and it was John's father, William, who took over the business in 1941. So where does the unusual name Blue Anchor come from? "Aberthaw was a larger port than Cardiff, Barry and Swansea in the 1300s," said Jeremy. "Ships used to cross the channel between the Welsh and English sides, and on the English side there is a Blue Anchor Bay which has blue marl on the sea bed. "Ships used to return to Aberthaw with blue anchors, hence the name of the public house." What makes The Blue Anchor one of the treasures of the Vale is the character of the oak beamed building, with roaring fires making it cosy in winter, the thick walls making it cool in summer. "It was orginally built as a farmhouse on the crossroads of the old port," said Jeremy. "The original farmer was probably a maker of beer, selling locally, and one day when it was raining invited some locals in, and discovered the pub - a new business! "We have six inter-connected oak-ceilinged rooms with tiny doorways, old flagstone floors and three large fireplaces." The Coleman family have worked hard to develop the Blue Anchor's prized reputation, and their bar and restaurant menus cater for every palate. "We employ five talented chefs and are proud to be leading the way in the Vale on the beer and food front," said Jeremy. Bar food is served from Monday to Saturday, 12 noon to 2pm, and from 6pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday. The restaurant opens at 7pm, and last orders are taken at 9.30pm Monday to Saturday. Sunday lunch is served from 12.30pm, with last orders taken at 2.30pm. For people in theVale, Bridgend and Cardiff, The Blue Anchor is an experience not to be missed - the only venue in Glamorgan to have an entry in the Michelin Guide!