Licensees win It's Better Down the Pub competition

The competition asked entrants to submit a video, picture or story illustrating why they love their local.

Dawn Jacklin of the Railway Tavern in Alford, Lincolnshire, won the best photo with 74 votes.

Her photo was entitled “Aby’s Charity Book” and featured the cover of a diary that tracks the fundraising the pub has accomplished since she took it on 10 years ago. Jacklin has raised £16,500 for various charities so far.

She said that she will use the digital camera to take more photos.

Special beer​

Marc Nicholson, of the Bedford in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, wowed voters in the story category. Having been at the pub, and in the trade, for two years, his story was about how he has developed the pub, majoring on cask ale.

Nicholson is working with his customers and a local brewery to brew their own special beer and he is running a competition in the pub to name the new beer.

He won the iPad and plans to use it in the pub for customers to check train times.

A spokesman for It’s Better Down the Pub said: “Our winners have paved the way and set the standards high for the next It’s Better Down the Pub competition, which is focusing on pubs and fundraising.

“Marc and Dawn are already talking to their punters about potential entries and we want even more pubs and customers to get involved this time round.”