Great British Pub Awards 2015: Winners crowned

The freehouse, which is owned by Simon Heaton, was selected from the Great British Pub Award’s 15 national category winners to take the overall crown.

Heaton was presented with his award by Sky's Johnny Nelson and host TV funnyman Sean Lock at a glittering 1980s-themed awards ceremony at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane, London.

The pub was also named national champion in the Best Freehouse Pub category.

The annual awards are organised by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser and celebrate the pub trade’s finest.

Judges were impressed with how the Shibden Mill’s all-round excellence lifted it clear from its competitors.

Impressive

The pub continually invests in driving its offer forward. A recent development saw more than £80,000 invested into the premises, renovating the accommodation to give the bedrooms a stylish make-over with ultra-modern facilities, and the creation of a Grill Room which has allowed the business to put the emphasis on local produce.

Heaton doesn’t shy away from taking difficult decisions either, and recently put an end to hosting weddings at the venue because it was taking over the business to the detriment of other customers.

Marketing is a strong part of the business, with the pub investing considerably every year, even retaining the full-time services of a PR agent. Heaton recognises that the pub’s location means it needs to retain a high profile, and he’s prepared to put his hand in his pocket to drive that forward.

PMA editor Ed Bedington said: “This is a pub to be proud of. Once you get under the stunning skin of this beautiful building, you realise that what lies beneath is the beating heart of a well-oiled and precision-engineered business.

“This operation is run like a dream and that has not happened by accident. Simon and manager Glenn Pearson and their team have lovingly crafted this pub during the past two decades, and with plans to push it even further forward, it’s only going to get better.”

Guests at last night's event raised £3, 710 for the Licensed Trade Charity by playing Rock and Roll Bingo.

The 2015 GBPA winners are:

• Best Freehouse: Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax, West Yorkshire​
• Best Sports Pub: The Murderers, Norwich​
• Best Community Pub, sponsored by Admiral Taverns: Chaplin’s and the Cellar Bar, Boscombe, Dorset​
• Best Managed Pub: The Wheatsheaf, Borough Market, London​
• Best Partnership Pub, sponsored by Enterprise Inns: The Victoria Inn, Salcombe, Devon​
• Best Turnaround Pub, sponsored by Greene King: The Study Room, Lancaster, Lancashire​
• Best Newcomer, sponsored by Punch Taverns: The Old Volunteer, Nottingham​
• Best Food Pub, sponsored by Heineken: The Staith House, North Shields, Tyne & Wear​
• Best Entertainment Pub: The Lord Clifden, Birmingham​
• Best Family Pub, sponsored by Coca-Cola Enteprises: The Jolly Sailors, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk​
• Best Spirits Pub, sponsored by Diageo: The Smugglers Cove, Liverpool​
• Best Wine Pub, sponsored by Matthew Clark: The Chequers Inn, Bilton-in-Ainsty, North Yorkshire​
• Best Beer Pub: Purecraft Bar & Kitchen, Birmingham​
• Best Cider Pub, sponsored by Aspall: The Crown Inn, Woolhope, Herefordshire​
• Best Bar Team: The Old Mill, Baginton, Warwickshire​