Charles Wells hosts are Star performers

Charles Wells has hosted its annual Eagle Star Awards night, aimed at recognising and rewarding the best licensees throughout the Bedford brewer's tenanted pub estate, Pub Alliance. In only its second year, the Eagle Stars, has become a major event in the calendar for Charles Wells' licensees. The awards are split into eight categories ­ Real Ale, Marketing, Entertainment, Community, Food, Gastro Pub/Restaurant, Wine and Best Pub in Bloom, with four finalists in each section attending the awards night at the Swan Hotel in Bedford. "The Eagle Star Awards are all about giving our most successful licensees the recognition they deserve," said Charles Wells retail director Anthony Wallis. "Our awards are much coveted throughout the estate and the quality of entrants is extremely high. Best of all though, the energy, innovation and standards shown by our pubs illustrates perfectly the approach Charles Wells is taking to being the best pub retailer in the country." "All of our Eagle Stars finalists and winners have worked extremely hard to get where they are this year," said Wallis. "This is just our way of saying thanks. Our aim is, now, that next year some of these pubs will be walking up to collect their prizes at the Morning Advertiser Awards." The Eagle Star winners were:

BEST WINE PUB 1 ‑Valerie Walters, Devonshire Arms, Bedford 2 ‑Stephen and Elaine Rogers, New Sun Inn, Kimbolton

BEST FOOD PUB 1 ‑Anne-Marie Cunningham and Graham Taylor, Bushel & Strike, Ashwell 2 ‑Theresa Thompson-Brown and Simon Shirley, Old Crown, Ashton

BEST GASTRO PUB/RESTAURANT 1 ‑Jane Hasler and Jago Hurt, Hare & Hounds, Old Warden 2 ‑Mike and Jenny Tuckwood, The Stag, Mentmore

BEST REAL ALE PUB 1 ‑Christine and Erich Bresitz, Royal Oak, Hail Weston 2 ‑Matt and Jennifer Elsegood, White Horse, Keysoe

BEST COMMUNITY PUB 1 ‑John and Ann Chatterley, Fox & Hounds, Clapham 2 ‑Sue Cleary, Cricketers Arms, Northampton

BEST ENTERTAINMENT PUB 1 ‑Jennifer and Julian Harkins & Samantha Kahrman, Nags Head, Nuneaton 2 ‑Malcolm and Ann McLean, Bridge, Shefford

BEST MARKETED & PROMOTED PUB 1 ‑Simon, David, Alison and Helen Cox, Ashwell Arms, Leighton Buzzard 2 ‑Daryl and Carolyn Aspley, Elephant & Castle, Coventry

BEST PUB IN BLOOM 1 ‑Boris and Edwin Marcow, De Parys Hotel, Bedford 2 ‑Trevor and Julie Mason, Dolphin, Newport Pagnell