Four pubs in the Cotswolds have reached the finals of the Publican Awards 2020, a national competition that rewards the ‘cream of the cream’ of the UK pub industry. The pubs, operated by Henley-based pub operator and brewer Brakspear, are shortlisted for the Best Pub Accommodation Award, the winners of which will be announced in March.
The Publican Awards, run by leading pub magazine The Morning Advertiser, are open to pubs across the UK and are widely regarded as the ‘ones to win’. The four Cotswolds pubs shortlisted are: the Frogmill at Shipton Oliffe near Cheltenham; George Hotel in Shipston-on-Stour; the Porch House in Stow-on-the-Wold and the Sheep on Sheep Street, also in Stow.
The Best Pub Accommodation Award will be given to the pub group which offers guests the best overnight stay, with judges looking for first-rate comfort and design in the bedrooms, outstanding customer service and a tasty breakfast. All Brakspear’s pub rooms are decorated and furnished to high standards with features such as roll-top baths and rainfall showers, super-comfortable beds with Egyptian cotton linens and Nespresso coffee machines.
Reaching the finals is the first stage in the Publican Awards’ rigorous judging process. The next steps include a visit by judges to several of the pubs, professional mystery visits and a panel interview in London for the Brakspear senior management team.
Simon Stanbrook, general manager at the Frogmill, said: “We are thrilled to be shortlisted for the Publican Awards.
“We’re very proud of our beautiful, comfortable bedrooms, which offer our guests an overnight stay with a boutique hotel feel. And, because we’re still first and foremost a pub, they also benefit from the sociable, relaxed atmosphere, enjoying a pint in the downstairs bar or a meal in the dining area before turning in for the night just a few steps away.
“We want our guests to feel at ease from the moment they walk through the pub door to to when they check out, feeling rested and refreshed, and we’ll be aiming to make the judges feel the same when they visit. We’ve got everything crossed for the winner’s announcement in March!”
Editor of The Morning Advertiser Ed Bedington said “We had record entries into the Publican Awards this year, so our judges had a difficult task in choosing the finalists from a very talented field. All the pubs that have reached the shortlist deserve to be very proud of their achievement and we wish them all good luck with the next stage of the judging, and look forward to announcing the winners in March.”
Winners of the Publican Awards 2020 will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on 4 March, attended by hundreds of guests from across the pub industry.
