The Cott Inn, near Dartington, Devon, took the overall title of Great British Pub of the Year in London last night after wowing judges with its stunning facilities and impeccable standards.
The pub, which is run by husband and wife Mark Annear and Mel Hard, can boast a heritage stretching back to the 1320s, and the operators have spent the past nine years transforming it into a superb all-rounder, offering a fantastic range of food, drinks and accommodation.
The pub originally took the title of Greene King pub of the Year, before fending off competition from 16 other category winners to take the overall title.
Lifting the trophy, Mark said: “It feels fantastic [to win]. We have a fantastic team who are really committed to it. They’re absolutely delighted to win.
"It’s just great to have the recognition, the pub was closed and we’ve done loads of development.
"This is seriously a great accolade and we are really pleased to get it."
Other winners on the night included the Bull in Ditchling, East Sussex, that not only won Freehouse of the Year for the second year on the run, but also took home the title of Pub Garden of the Year as well.
Molly Rafferty, the pub's general manager, said: “It feels absolutely amazing we didn’t think it was possible to win again but we’re constantly striving for more and developing our business.
"[Everyone back at the pub] is waiting for a phone call."
Young Chef of the Year was named as Liam Siddy from the Legstraps, in Wootton, Bedforshire, who fought off strong competition to create a starter for the night of the awards.
Liam said: "We saw the beef as a high quality piece of meat that didn’t need a lot of cooking. It would appeal to a wide audience as a starter.
"The pub is an amazing place to work and I’ve had an amazing mentor help me become a bigger and better chef."
Ed Bedington, editor of The Morning Advertiser, which organises the award, said: “These pubs represent the best in the business, and it’s a real honour for us to be able to celebrate with all our winners and finalists in this year’s competition.
“The awards seek to recognise and reward excellence across the board, and I’d like to congratulate the Cott Inn and all our winners on doing such a fantastic job in such a tough sector.
“The Cott Inn is a superb business run out of stunning premises in a picturesque location. But it hasn’t just relied on good looks. This is a slick, professional and well-run modern pub operation and one that has people flocking from far and wide.”
The winners on the night were:
Greene King Pub of the Year and Overall - The Cott Inn, Dartington, Devon
Best for Family - The Three Trees, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Best for Food - The Dog at Wingham, near Canterbury, Kent
Best for LGBTQ+ - Two Brewers, Clapham, London
Best for Sport - Belushi’s, London Bridge
Best for Wine - The Unruly Pig, Bromeswell, Suffolk
Best Freehouse - The Bull, Ditchling, East Sussex
Best Inn - The Cartford Inn, Little Eccelston, Lancashire
Best Local - The Chandos Arms, Collindale, north London
Best Pub Garden - The Bull, Ditchling, East Sussex
Best Pub Manager - Will Buck, the Nags Head, Covent Garden, London
Best for Beer - The Drawing Board, Leamington Spa
Best for Spirits - Criterion, St Andrews, Scotland
Best for Cider – The Brunswick Inn, Derby
Best for Entertainment – Chaplin’s & The Cellar Bar, Bournemouth, Dorset
Admiral Pub of the Year - Nauticus, Leith, Edinburgh
Punch Pub of the Year - The Rising Sun, Truro, Cornwall
Ei Group Pub of the Year - The Tap on Tower Street, Harrogate, Yorkshire
Young Chef of the Year - Liam Siddy, the Legstraps, Wootton, Befordshire
Chef of the Year - Tom Parker, the White Swan, Fence, Lancashire
