A Wiltshire pub has picked up yet another prestigious award after being crowned the best venue in the South West.
The Bell & Crown at Zeals near Warminster was presented with the accolade at the National Pub & Bar of the Year Awards 2023 ceremony in London on Wednesday (June 28).
It was just one of the 15 pubs and bars across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that scooped a prestigious regional winner title.
Co-owner Ethan Davids, 29, of the Salisbury-based Chickpea Group, said: “We are absolutely chuffed to bits. It’s wonderful. We are really happy.
“Our team at the pub are all smashing it. The people that work there are just fantastic.”
The pub's general manager Zoe Guild and head chef Jamie McDougall picked up the award for the Bell & Crown, which was also named ‘Pub of the Year by The Times/Sunday Times guide to the UK’s best pubs.
Mr Davids runs the Chickpea Group's pub chain with his sister Jordan Davids, 27, and their business partner Tommy Tullis, 29, and took on the Bell & Crown in 2019.
They opened the pub in January 2020 following an extensive renovation and refurbishment programme. Its six letting rooms opened in April last year.
The Chickpea Group also owns the Pembroke Arms in Wilton, the Grosvenor Arms in Hindon, the Dog & Gun at Netheravon and the Queen’s Head at Broad Chalke.
The Bell & Crown sits just off the A303 and in April was named as the best in Wiltshire by the awards judges.
The former coaching inn was among 94 pubs and bars across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland competing for the regional and national titles.
It is ideally located for guests to visit nearby tourist attractions such as Longleat House and Safari Park, Stourhead House & Gardens, Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.
The pub has six letting rooms and an outside dining area covered by a large stretch tent. On Tripadvisor, The Bell & Crown has a current rating of 4.5.
The National Pub & Bar of the Year Awards 2023 aim to highlight the positive and inspiring work being carried out across the UK’s hospitality industry.
They are sponsored by Heineken, ICRTouch, Kerrymaid, Lamb Weston, Loomis, Majestic Commercial, Mission Foods, Schweppes and Value for Venues.
The Running Horses in Mickleham was named the National Pub & Bar of the Year, after judges commended the venue for its top-quality food and drink, meticulous attention to detail, and first-class hospitality.
The National Pub & Bar Awards 2023 winners are:
- National Pub & Bar of the Year – The Running Horses, Surrey
- East Midlands – The Tollemache Arms, Northamptonshire
- East of England – The Three Hills, Cambridgeshire
- London – The Barley Mow, Mayfair, Greater London
- North East – Three Mile, Tyne and Wear
- North West – The Swan at Marbury, Cheshire
- Northern Ireland – Hearth, Antrim
- North West Scotland – Tigh An Truish, Argyll and Bute
- North East Scotland – The Criterion, Fife
- South East Scotland – The Scran & Scallie, City of Edinburgh
- South West Scotland – The Electric Bar, North Lanarkshire
- South East – The Running Horses, Surrey
- South West – Bell & Crown, Wiltshire
- Wales – The Old House 1147, Mid Glamorgan
- West Midlands – The Red Lion, Long Compton, Warwickshire
- Yorkshire and the Humber – The Fat Badger, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
- Pub Chef of the Year – Chris Fordham-Smith, The Barley Mow, Mayfair
- Pub Brand of the Year – The Beech House
- Bar Brand of the Year – BrewDog Waterloo
- Heineken UK Sustainable Pub of the Year – The Tollemache Arms, Northamptonshire.
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