Wiltshire's Tollgate Inn wins Catering Pub of the Year

Licensees Alison Ward-Baptiste and Alexander Venables have scooped the title of Catering Pub of the Year at the prestigious Publican Awards after being finalists for five years running.

Alison and Alex have been shortlisted in the fiercely-fought awards every year since they took over the Tollgate Inn in Holt near Trowbridge, Wiltshire, in July 1999. They were highly-commended last year and almost gave up on winning the award altogether.

"After we didn't win last year we were so disappointed we weren't going to enter again but we were persuaded," said Alison.

The couple have managed to grow their business over the last five years despite problems caused by road closures, which cut the pub off from passing trade, and the foot-and-mouth epidemic which affected the surrounding countryside very badly.

Now they own a thriving food business selling high-quality British food. Chef Alex and his kitchen team make everything on the menu themselves including not only the pub's ice cream, bread, jams and chutneys but also its tomato ketchup and brown sauce - something that impressed The Publican's panel of judges.

All the pub's ingredients from meat to vegetables and cheese are sourced locally and its suppliers are listed on the menu - meaning many pub-goers be-come customers of the local suppliers themselves.

"We are always on the lookout for new suppliers," said Alison. "We're very lucky here in the South West because there is a wealth of ingredients available."

Last year the couple converted the pub's upstairs rooms into four letting rooms which have been enormously successful. They are waiting for planning permission to convert a disused barn in the pub's car park into more letting rooms with disabled access. Guests are given a full English breakfast or cereal - all sourced locally - and can even choose their own eggs from the pub's flock of hens.

Alison and Alex have had success with special events promoting certain foods. A game evening they held last autumn was very well supported, as was a special promotion for British Food Fortnight last September. They are planning a seafood evening in June and other special events throughout the year.

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Pub trade's best awarded at Publican Awards (24 March 2004)