Devon Wetherspoon pubs win glowing accolades - but not for beer or food

Devon Wetherspoon pubs have won acclaim for their toilets. Tiverton's White Ball Inn won a platinum award in the annual Loo of the Year Awards 2024.

The Wetherspoons pub, in Bridge Street, is managed by Paul Hawkins. Paul said: "We are delighted with the grading. Staff at the pub ensure the toilets are in excellent condition at all times and it is great that this has been recognised by the inspectors."

The Powder Monkey in Exmouth also won platinum after impressing inspectors. And all four Exeter Wetherspoons claimed the same accolade. The Chevalier Inn in Fore Street, The Imperial in New North Road, George’s Meeting House in South Street and The Sawyer’s Arms in Cowick Street, were each awarded a platinum grading by inspectors.

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The Talk of the Town in Paignton was given a platinum-plus grading while the Green Ginger in Torquay, the Richard Hopkins in Newton Abbot and the Vigilance in Brixham were awarded platinum.

The awards are aimed at highlighting and improving standards of 'away from home' toilet provision across the UK. Loo of the Year Awards inspectors made unannounced visits to thousands of toilets at sites across the UK, in order to judge them.

All of the toilets are graded bronze, silver, gold, platinum, platinum plus or diamond with unacceptable toilets not graded at all. The toilets are judged against numerous criteria, including décor and maintenance, cleanliness, accessibility, hand washing and drying equipment and overall management.

When unveiling the new-look toilets at the White Ball in Tiverton after a revamp in 2019, the then manager Ben Grainger said they had been moved from the ground floor to the first floor to create additional space.

“There’s been a massive investment in our toilets,” Mr Grainger added. “They are now on the first floor as opposed to the ground floor. This is done purely to create more table space for people eating. This is why we have toilets in many Wetherspoons upstairs.

“The gents are in the listed part of the building so it had to be sympathetically done, but I hope everyone will agree it’s been designed very well. We have more space for gentleman to use, and individual urinals which is a great upgrade from what we had before which wasn’t the best.

“Another part of the investment is in the ladies’ facilities, where there are seven toilets, wall mirror, vanity tables and lots of artwork which you will see throughout the entire building.”