Barton Seagrave's Stirrup Cup up for pub of the year title

A Barton Seagrave pub has been shortlisted in a pub of the year competition seeing off hundreds of other entries to be named as overall winner.

The Stirrup Cup in Woodland Avenue has reached the final six in the Stonegate Pub Partners Pub of the Year category of the Great British Pub Awards (GBPAs).

Following a rigorous selection process the pub, known for its heart-of-the-community ethos, is now in the running for the industry award, widely considered to be the Oscars of the British pub industry.

Publican Chris Herring said: "We are absolutely delighted to be in the finals of the Great British Pub Awards! We have worked hard to traditional, classic venues which celebrates everything about the kind of pub we all know and love, so it is amazing to be recognised in such a way. I’m so proud of my team and everything we’ve achieved over the last 18 months.”

The Great British Pub Awards recognise, reward and celebrate the fantastic work pubs do for our country and their communities.

During the Covid pandemic, publicans Chris Herring and Mark Hindhead worked hard to continue to support their community.

From the first day of lockdown in March 2020, they launched a takeaway menu which proved a real success. Each Sunday, they would cook and deliver more than 150 roast dinners, continuing to provide hot meals to the vulnerable and ensured they engaged their community.

Stonegate Group is the largest pub company in the UK comprising 1,270 sites within the managed division and 3,200 leased and tenanted businesses.

Simon Longbottom, CEO of Stonegate Group, said: “The entirety of the Stonegate Group is behind Chris and Mark and their team. We are incredibly proud of the ingenuity they have shown in the face of adversity and their contribution to the success of the Stirrup Cup, as both a pub and as a business. On behalf of myself and the entire business, we wish them every success in the finals.”