BEDFORDSHIRE PUBS SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL AWARDS
Two pubs in Bedfordshire have won regional titles and are competing for national recognition in an awards programme organised by licensed trade newspaper The Morning Advertiser.
The Great British Pub Awards recognise the best practice and the best people in the pub trade and Charles Wells pubs The Royal Oak, Lidlington and The White Horse, Bedford have both overcome the first round of regional judging.
The Royal Oak Lidlington has been named as having the Best Creative Outdoor Area in the East & West Midlands by virtue of having four different garden areas for different customer groups. Licensee Yvonne Schrader, who runs the pub with partner Trevor Capon, explained “We have a traditional beer garden for everyone to enjoy and a large, enclosed play area for families with small children to use in a secure environment. There’s a separate garden specifically targeted for people with pets and a fourth section has been transformed into a petanque court. It’s an effort to keep on top of the gardens and maintaining them wouldn’t be possible without the help of our gardener and petanque groundsman who both live in the village and put in a lot of hard work to keep them up to scratch.”
“When we get good weather, the grounds are packed and it’s great to be able to offer different groups of the local community an option that suits them. It’s fantastic to get official recognition that we’ve got the best outdoor area in the Midlands and we look forward to welcoming new visitors who are curious to know just how good it is.”
Nigel and Sue Anstead at The White Horse in Newnham Avenue, Bedford are no strangers to the Great British Pub awards, having won two regional titles in the past. “This year, we’ve been named Best Tenanted or Leased Pub in East and West Midlands” remarked Sue Anstead “and are therefore one of the top 8 pubs in this category in the country.”
“We have a fantastic team at The White Horse so it’s a great honour for us all to be recognised for the hard work that goes into providing a great service and atmosphere for our loyal group of regulars. We’re hoping to win the national award as it would be the icing on the cake, but for now, we’re thrilled to have the regional seal of approval from our industry peers and will carry on providing more of the same for our customers.”
Charles Wells Pub Company Managing Director, Anthony Wallis commented “We work as closely as possible with our licensees to support their business development and help them provide a great pub experience for their customers. To receive regional recognition for two pubs in Bedfordshire, and a further one in Cambridgeshire, is a great achievement and we congratulate Yvonne and Trevor and Nigel and Sue for putting their pubs firmly on the map. We’re very proud of what they’ve accomplished and will be keeping our fingers crossed for them at the National Awards.”
The Royal Oak and The White Horse are joined by another Charles Wells pub, The Salisbury Arms in Cambridge, as regional winners. All three now progress to judging for the best overall pub in their region and the National category titles at the Great British Pub Awards on 18th September.
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www.charleswells.co.uk
For Immediate Release: Thursday 21st August 2008
For Further Information, please contact: Yvonne Schrader, The Royal Oak
01525 840233
Sue Anstead, The White Horse
01234 409306
Kate Hempsall, Charles Wells Pub Company
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 272625
