MA Awards Supreme Pub of 2006

Judges chose the Water Witch above all other entries to be crowned the Morning Advertiser Supreme Pub of the Year and here are the reasons why.

Many canal-side buildings are blessed with character and the Water Witch has it in spades.

The benefit of an atmospheric setting by the water certainly draws custom, but the true secret of the Water Witch's success goes deeper.

The pub draws in a broad range of customers because of the multi-faceted nature of the business.

There's a stylish brasserie for diners.

All categories of drinkers will find plenty to enjoy.

The customers could be cask-ale drinkers, speciality lager lovers or those who enjoy niche bottled beers - there's an abundance of drinks to choose from.

Also, there can't be too many outlets that seamlessly combine the functions of a cask-beer pub with that of a premium bar.

The Water Witch achieves this handsomely and it's the judges' choice as the winner in the Granada region for both of these categories.

The outlet is also the overall winner in the Pub Promotion of the Year category for staging an innovative scheme to encourage customers to try bottled beers from around the world. Every time customers sampled a different beer, they received a stamp on a specially prepared passport and those who collected all the stamps were entered into a draw, with the top prize being a holiday in Finland.

The judges praised the Water Witch for being a great all-round outlet and applauded the entrepreneurial skills of business partners Matt Jackson, pictured, and Phil Simpson.