2010 Adnams Pub of the Year Awards

The Kings Head at Laxfield was named the Pub of the Year at the Adnams Pub Awards hosted at The Swan Hotel in Southwold today. Presenting the awards, Karen Hester Operations Director at Adnams said: “The Adnams Pub Awards recognise the hard work and commitment of our pub tenants. All our winners operate at the heart of their community, offering fantastic local food and great Adnams beers and we’re pleased to help celebrate their success.”

The Winners:

Eco Pub of the Year – The Cherry Tree, Woodbridge
Geoff and Sheila Ford’s pub stood out in this category due to the comprehensive range of initiatives they have introduced to ensure their pub operates in a sustainable and responsible manner, values that are also important to Adnams.

Oil from fryers in the pub’s kitchen is recycled into vehicle fuel, lighting outside the pub has been made more energy efficient by replacing 500w bulbs to 25w bulbs and waterless urinals are among the many steps Geoff and Sheila have taken.

This is the second year of success for the Cherry Tree, which was awarded the Best Gardens prize in the 2009 Adnams Pub Awards.

Best Gardens – Worlds End, Mulbarton – Michael Hodge
The judges felt that the garden at Worlds End was second-to-none. Tenant Michael Hodge has created a garden that manages to make all available space look spectacular. Outside dining is lit across a lovely patio bordered by shrubs and flowers and the well-kept lawn appeal to everyone with areas dedicated to flowers and a children’s play area.

Dining Pub of the Year – Bridge House, London
Dining Pub of the Year is judged on the whole experience – ambience, service, attention to detail, as well as the food itself.  Steve McMinn and Wayne Seddon at the pub on London’s Tower Bridge excelled in all areas – great staff, great food, well-presented and locally sourced products as well as exceptional attention to detail.

Highly Commended – Queen’s Head, Brandeston
This year, Adnams also decided to award a highly commended Dining Pub of the Year. The Queen’s Head is well known to other chefs in the area and Alan Randall has established an excellent reputation with peers and customers alike. The ambience is low key and comfortable, staff attentive and courteous and the food tastes superb.

Community Pub of the Year – The Randolph Hotel, Reydon
David and Donna Smith at The Randolph Hotel provide a huge range of activities and events for the local community, from simple quiz evenings to fun packed family days. They also support local schools and clubs and judges were impressed with the vast amount of support they provide to so many areas of their community.

David and Donna donate precious time, equipment and support to areas such as promoting healthy eating within schools, fund raising events and support smaller local businesses. Much of this support is done without any recognition and they clearly truly value the community in which they live and work.

Highly Commended – Half Moon, Walton
Tenant Patrick Wroe is the heart and soul of this pub and works very hard for many charities, raising money through quiz nights, raffles and fantasy football events.

The pub also plays host to local clubs and organises regular group outings and events. Photographs and letters of appreciation on display at the pub are testament to Patrick’s efforts.

Highly Commended – White Horse,  Westleton
The customers at this great village pub put together an impressive folder of evidence detailing the enormous range of activities and fund raising that the White Horse, Westleton is responsible for. Rick and Jennie Powling manage to combine having a great deal of fun with raising funds and acting as a real hub of the village. A digital photo frame in the pub shares the memories that these activities create with pub customers.

Adnams Pub of the Year – Kings Head, Laxfield – Bob Wilson and Linda Bower
Judges were looking for a pub that encompasses all the criteria set for the individual awards and Bob Wilson and Linda Bower impressed judges on every level. They described the pub’s garden as “a hidden joy with rambling roses, beautiful herbaceous borders, oak pergola and a lawn that you could play bowls on but is more likely to see children and dogs having a water fight”.

The Kings Head’s food menu has been transformed from sandwiches or a packet of crisps to king prawn linguini, chocolate jelly and favourites such as beef and Broadside pie.

Bob and Linda were also recognised for their contribution to the local community, such as fund raising with the local church and primary school to seeing in deliveries and setting up the beer for the committee in the village hall.