A Nottinghamshire pub has been declared the best in the county in a national awards ceremony. Ye Olde Bridge Inn in Oxton has been named the county's best pub as part of the National Pub & Bar Awards 2023.
It was previously awarded the accolade of 'Best for Families' by The Great British Pub Awards in 2022. Hannah Lloyd, owner of the popular country pub on Nottingham Road, said the award recognised the hard work put into the venue by staff.
"It is really nice to win another award, especially with it being so hard in hospitality at the moment. When myself and the team put so much work in, it is good to get an accolade to show you might be on the right path.
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"We are in a rural location in Oxton so we want to cater for all the surrounding villages. We look at what people like, what we like ourselves, and we base the customer experience on that.
"We do have the family aspect, we have a great children's play area. But then we cater for friend groups of all ages, a lot of families - there isn't really a niche we are targeting and we host all sorts of people."
Hannah explained her view that pubs now had to appeal to a wide range of people to thrive. "We try to be slightly different to a traditional community pub, we offer world tapas, we have a great outside beer garden, and we do live music," she added.
"We keep trying to develop so that when people go out to us now, with everyone more conscious of their spending, they get a good experience. I think you have to be a lot more than just a pub now. "
Pub and bar operators were informed of their achievements ahead of the grand final awards ceremony on June 28. There, the county winners, including Ye Olde Bridge Inn, will discover which pubs will be taking home regional titles and which will be named the UK’s best
Entries for the awards have been open since the start of the year, with hundreds of venues outlining the work that goes into their design, training, team welfare, sustainability, food, drink, marketing and other aspects. At the grand final, other awards will be handed out, including the Pub Brand of the Year, Bar Brand of the Year, Pub Chef of the Year and Sustainable Pub & Bar of the Year.
“We were overwhelmed by the level and quality of entries this year,” says Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which runs the awards. “It just goes to show what magnificent work is going on across the UK hospitality sector. With outrageous energy costs, recruitment shortages and a punishing taxation system, these businesses are once again facing tough times. Now, more than ever, it’s vital that people support their local pubs and bars. So, ahead of the long Easter weekend, why not check out the finest in your county?”
During the winter the pub introduced three see-through domes as part of its outdoor dining experience.
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