Yahoo News The five best Thwaites pubs for sport, food, entertainment and drinks
Lancashire-based pub chain and brewery Thwaites has revealed the cream of the crop at its annual hospitality awards.
The Brown Cow in Chorley, The Britannia in Oswaldtwistle, The Station Hotel in Blackburn, The White Bull in Oswaldtwistle and The Grey Mare at Belthorn have battled it out against Thwaites pubs across the country to claim accolades at the latest Thwaites Hospitality Awards.
Hosted annually by Lancashire-based, family-owned hospitality group, Daniel Thwaites, the Italian-themed awards ceremony saw 140 people gather at the four-star North Lakes Hotel & Spa in Penrith, with guests treated to a ‘Sorrento Sparkle’ drinks reception, followed by a three-course Italian feast, a free bar throughout the night, and an evening of first-class entertainment.
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The Thwaites Hospitality Awards recognises excellence across the company’s portfolio of over 190 pubs, with operators hoping to scoop honours across just 13 winning categories, including ‘Pub of the Year’ and ‘Community Hero’, as well as an accolade crowning the ‘Best Investment’.
Following a rigorous judging process, which ranged from interviews to mystery pub visits, the evening saw The Brown Cow take home the highly coveted title – ‘Sporting Superstar’ – and was praised by judges for being ‘a venue that delivers a truly amazing sporting experience to its customers and community’.
Commenting on the award win, Lyndsey Laybats, tenant at The Brown Cow, said: “I just want to say a huge thank you to Thwaites, they have been nothing short of amazing and have been so supportive and we will continue to make the Brown Cow thrive.”
The ‘Best Premium Pub Food’ award was given to The Britannia for its ‘warm and inviting atmosphere’, ‘faultless execution of a classic but refined menu’, ‘top-quality ingredients’, and ‘enthusiasm for delivering first-class food’.
Whilst The White Bull in Oswaldtwistle claimed the award for ‘Eye for Quality’ thanks to its ‘immaculately presented food’, ‘high quality ingredients’, ‘attention to detail’ and ‘friendly and attentive service’.
Sean Forshaw and Erika Kuti, tenants at The Britannia and The White Bull, said: “We are so shocked, emotional and excited to pick up the awards for Eye for Quality and Best Premium Food. It is amazing to be recognised for all our hard efforts and a huge thank you to Thwaites for their continued support and our amazing White Bull and Britannia teams!”
The Station Hotel in Blackburn was awarded the ‘Best Newcomer’ award after judges admired the pub for its ‘community championship, ‘use of social media, ‘dedication to staff training’, and it’s ‘impressive entertainment line-up’.
Regarding the triumph, Shane Hudson, tenant at The Station, commented: “Winning this award is very emotional for us and is a tribute to my dad following his recent passing. I just want to thank our customers, the brewery, my hard-working team and my amazing partner that supports me on this pub life journey.”
Finally, the glitzy evening saw the ‘Craftmanship’ accolade go to The Grey Mare at Belthorn, commended by judges for its ‘carefully crafted food and beverage initiatives’, as well as its ‘clever use of social media to attract customers and support the local community’.
Steve and Becky Prince, tenants at The Grey Mare, said: “Thank you so much for this award, it’s fully deserved for the entire Grey Mare team. A huge thank you to Thwaites for awarding us tonight, we are so grateful.”
Andrew Buchanan, Director of Pubs and Brewing at Daniel Thwaites, said: “The Thwaites Hospitality Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate our tenants and their fantastic achievements over the last twelve months. We take great pride in our pubs and, once again, this year’s calibre of entrants has been outstanding. Despite the many challenges the industry has faced, all of our winners have gone above and beyond to demonstrate their resilience to adversity, their dedication to the hospitality sector, and our core values.”
Headline sponsors for the night were Birra Moretti, part of the Heineken family, and Thwaites Brewery, while the award ceremony was also made possible thanks to other sponsors including Egan Reid Group, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Total Food Service, Cask Marque, Harrison Drury Solicitors, Parkinson Signs, Stockchek, Sky, D&M Creative and Halewood Artisanal Spirits.
