Licensee wins chance to see his pub recreated in Rio

Ernie Welch beat off competition from 2,000 other nominated pubs to win the 'Put Your Pub on a Plane to Rio' competition. He will now see his pub recreated a stone's thrown from Copacabana beach in Brazil.

The pub will feature the Old Star Inn's wooden horse head pub sign, traditional fireplace, colourful pool table area, darts board and distinctive wooden bar, plus items from Welch's regualr quiz, disco and karaoke nights. Welch and his customers will watch the opening of the World Cup from their Rio pub.

Pubs had to nominated for the competition by their customers and the five businesses who received the most amount of votes were then interviewed by a panel of judges including Al Murray - the Pub Landlord, The Sun newspaper sports reporter Charlie Wyett and Publican's Morning Advertiser managing editor Jo Bruce.

The four other finalists were Orchid Group's Woodpecker in Waterlooville, Hampshire; the Black Bull Inn in Grimsby, the Hollow Bottom in Cheltenham and the Corner House in Lurgan, Ireland.

Licensees went to great lengths to encourage votes to earn them a place in the final. Campaigning included setting up polling booths until midnight on the last day of voting to get locals in to vote; encouraging votes by saying that if they won the managers would get married in the pub in Rio; giving away free packs of McCoy's crisps in return for votes, running hit squads to local businesses to get them to support their locals bid to win the trip and running prize draws to for customers to win the chance to win a meal at the pub if they voted.

The Old Star's campaign included Welch's daughter Kate running a social media campaign, canvassing votes from family in Florida, Australia and Ireland and setting up a polling station-style booth in the pub to get as many votes in as possible.

Welch said: "All of us who are going are so excited and we will be showing the locals in Rio some good old fashioned Old Star Inn hospitality."

He was nominated for the competition by local Christina Duffy because of his work in the local community which includes chairty bike rides and cooking a free Christmas dinner for local elderly people.

Al Murray, the Pub Landlord, said: "It was a really tough competition and all the top five who made the shortlist were really great examples of what a proper British Pub should be, at the centre of their community, providing fantastic atmosphere and hosted by a magnificent licensee."

Murray will be hosting a Samba-themed pub quiz at the Old Star as part of the prize.