Speciality Beer Pub of the Year 2008: the Royal Standard of England, Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire

The Royal Standard of England won in this category because of the passion of its licensee Matthew O'Keeffe for speciality beer.

His carefully thought-out concept for the range, along with effective internal marketing, has made it a highly profitable side of the business.

The Royal Standard is promoted as the oldest freehouse in England and the speciality beer range matches this theme. The menu lists beer in 'olde English' language, and its reverse explains beer traditions throughout the ages.

Beers are chosen on the basis of heritage and provenance. As Matthew says: "With beer here, I'm looking for quality, authenticity and heritage. That's what suits this pub. If I had a style bar in Hoxton, London, I would be doing something completely different with beer."

Owd Roger was brewed on site from the beginning of the last century until Marston's bought the rights in the 1950s. The Royal Standard now claims to be the only pub supplied with the cask format.

While Owd Roger is an excellent USP for the Royal Standard, its range of speciality beer is not limited to such traditional ales. Draught lagers are chosen on the basis that only one - Cotswold Premium Lager - is brewed in the UK, and specialist draught beers include Chimay Triple. There are bottled world beers, three taps dedicated to a rotating range of locally brewed beers, and keg Hopback Entire Stout is ever-present to, in Matthew's words, "break the Guinness monopoly".

Matthew explains the selection by saying that he looks for beers that are good examples of their type. He makes sure styles are well represented on a beer menu kept deliberately concise at one sheet of A4 paper in length.

In terms of sourcing the beers, Matthew makes a point of going directly to the individual suppliers where possible. He is frustrated by what he sees as the unresponsiveness of large wholesalers. "If you deal with the big boys, you will generally only be able to speak to telesales, who have no genuine interest," he says.

The pub forges strong ties with microbrewers supplying it - for example, by giving them samples of beers they have sourced from elsewhere. This approach has resulted in greater negotiating power, Matthew believes.

When customers walk in, they cannot fail to notice that this is a speciality beer house. Antique fonts, many of which were sourced at great effort from European eBay auction websites, provide a striking point of difference. The beers are served in generic glasses that are branded with the pub's name. Customers can buy the glassware for £5, a profitable price point for the Royal Standard.

They will also find knowledgeable barstaff, invested with Matthew's passion for the product. Staff are given a range of training: in the cellar, in dispense and in general knowledge through regular tutored tastings. Staff are encouraged to suggest drinks - for example, to say "we don't sell Guinness, but why not try Hopback Stout?"

Crucially, this service was on evidence during mystery visits to the pub.