Meet the man who lives furthest from a pub in the whole of the UK

Over 18s only. Drink responsibly.

Brought to you by PerfectDraft

The Great British pub has long been the beating heart of community life. They’re more than just a place to go for a proper pint of draught beer, they’re where you gather with loved ones to celebrate and commiserate, to meet friends old and new - and they have been for centuries.

In fact, if you live in the UK, you’re unlikely to live more than a mile from your closest pub, even if you live out in the sticks.

Research shows that people who live closer to a pub are happier, more socially connected and more trusting within their communities. At a time when our lives are becoming increasingly digital and replacing face-to-face interaction, the role of the pub as a social anchor has never mattered more.

But PerfectDraft, a machine that delivers pub quality draught beer in the comfort of your home, has uncovered the ultimate exception: Steven Wilson, the man who lives furthest from a pub anywhere in the UK.

Steven lives on Fair Isle, the UK’s most remote inhabited island, located 24 miles from Shetland and 27 miles from Orkney.

There are no pubs on the island.

To enjoy a pint of draught beer, Steven walks, sails, hitches a lift and walks some more. It’s a 120-mile round trip every time he fancies a pint - and that’s only if the weather allows. Bad weather conditions often leave Fair Islanders cut off for weeks at a time.

A born-and-bred Fair Islander, Steven’s family has lived on the island since the 1500s. He is a pillar of the local community, working as the island’s ferry master, as well as a DJ, crofter and fisherman, and is known for regularly opening his home to friends and neighbours.

Now that Steven has a PerfectDraft machine, his home has become the first and only ‘pub’ on Fair Isle. For the first time, the islanders have a place where the community can reliably gather over cold pints of draught beer, whatever the weather.

“Getting to a pub has always meant planning a full day around it, if not two or three, and sometimes it just isn’t possible," said Steven

"Being the home on the island where people can come together for a proper pint means a lot.”

Interested in getting a PerfectDraft machine for yourself? Click here.