Meet the finalists for Marston's Pub of the Year

Part 16^th​ Century, part Victorian, the Gun Inn is a village pub with a character that has been enhanced by lessee Sally Harris, a former art teacher who has added her own creative touches to the multi-roomed interior and a pretty garden under ivy-clad walls.

The decidedly quirky feel extends to a busy events calendar with the team encouraged to come up with unusual ideas. Highlights are the pubs own music festival and a Hallowe’en fancy dress contest – for dogs.

Add equally creative, freshly-cooked, food, Spanish and French themed evenings and Ringwood ales on the pumps and you have a pub that’s delightfully, distinctively, different.

After taking on the Railway in October 2020, lessee Gareth Griffiths and his brother, chef Llwyd, have not only pulled this out-of-town roadside pub through troubled times but, supported by well-engaged staff, given the community a proper home.

Ambitious marketing has targeted local societies and companies with offers and established its large car park as a venue for bike and motoring meets. An enhanced menu of pub classics include a wide range of gluten-free and vegan choices.

They’ve added a play area and outdoor bar, and inside converted the carvery counter into a coffee bar offering different blends available by the bag as well as the cup.

A smart refurb inside and out has made this comfortable and welcoming backstreet local really stand out, but to fully appreciate the Romilly you’ve got to through to the beer garden, creatively developed into a space that’s attracted people from all over this suburb of Cardiff.

A range of Brains’ ales on the pumps are well looked after, and the pub is at its busiest when roast lunches are served on Sundays. The darts teams are thriving, and weekly quiz and live music nights are popular, too.

In all, the Romilly is a proper community pub that anyone would be happy to have on their street.

This superbly well-run village pub has been lifted well above the ordinary by lessees Tom Evans and Craig Mather since they took over just a few years ago.

Exceptional customer service delivered by a well-trained team is at the heart of everything they do, and the pub has attracted a loyal following among diners looking for pub classics with a bit extra, and an impressive range of spirits at the bar.

The function room known as The Lodge has been luxuriously refurbished and opens out onto a comfortable heated courtyard garden that’s become a popular spot to eat and drink.

For lessees Emma and Terry Cole the Royal Oak exists, above all, to serve the people living in this part of the West Midlands. And it’s a great local.

Thanks to Emma’s work in the cellar, the pub is famous for its cask beer, especially the Banks’s Mild, brewed just up the road. The scotch eggs go down well, too, and when Wolverhampton Wanderers are at home burgers are flipped in the pop-up kitchen outside. It sponsors a local football team, too.

The expansive, sheltered beer garden is another big attraction, and there’s always plenty going on, including on-screen sports, live music and charity events.

Restaurant-style food and service marks out a pub that occupies an idyllic location in the Peaks town of Bakewell. A modern redevelopment of an old wood mill, its bright and airy interior opens onto a terrace overlooking the River Wye.

The Woodyard attracts tourists and locals too, mainly for those occasions when you’re looking for that special experience, perhaps beginning with a cocktail or two, and an impressively professional, friendly team are there to deliver it.

At the heart of the operation, the kitchen offers vegan and gluten-free options alongside the main menus, and the chefs are always willing to adapt dishes to keep diners happy.