Battlesteads: Great British Pub of the Year
The Battlesteads in Wark-on-Tyne, Northumberland, owned by Richard and Dee Slade, has been crowned Great British Pub of the Year.
The couple also won the Green Pub of the Year award. The judges were full of admiration for Richard and Dee Slade's dedication towards making Battlesteads as environmentally friendly as possible.
The freehouse was the first pub to have a carbon-neutral biomass boiler, which has cut heating costs from £22,000 per annum to just £3,500, demonstrating that going green is good for the wallet as well as the environment.
"While all our green initiatives are designed to reduce energy use and carbon emissions, we have also set out to educate people on the impact green policies can have on the environment," said Richard Slade.
The judges declared: "Battlesteads is a truly remarkable pub that offers the very best in food, drink, and accommodation. Thanks to Richard and Dee Slade's commitment to reducing carbon emissions, Battlesteads is at the forefront in adopting energy-saving techniques and initiatives, making the pub a model for other businesses."
In 2005, Richard and Dee sold their multiple Morning Advertiser award-winning freehouse on Tyneside to take on Battlesteads — a bankrupt, rundown B&B pub. Under their stewardship, every aspect of the business has been transformed. Over the past four years, their hard work has been rewarded by a seven-fold increase in turnover.
"This is a fantastic result," said Richard Slade. "We never expected to do this well, even though we're very proud of what we've achieved at Battlesteads. Thanks are due to our wonderful staff and customers, without whose support we would not be here tonight."
The PMA Team, editor of The Morning Advertiser, said: "The Great British Pub of the Year award is the ultimate accolade in our industry, given to licensees at the top of their game. Richard and Dee's exceptional talent, determination and passion put them ahead of the other excellent finalists and they should be very proud of their win."
Other category winners:
Freehouse: Ashley and Kelly McCarthy, Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, North Yorkshire
Tenanted/leased: Chris and Vanessa Maskery, Fighting Cocks, Horton Kirby, Kent
Managed: Belinda Cheeseman, Quart Pot, Runwell, essex
Community: David and Kate Deacon, Shoulder of Mutton, Kirkby Overblow, North Yorkshire
Creative Outdoor Area: James Nye and Kevin Nobes, White Horse, Brancaster Staithe, Norfolk
Cask Beer: Adrian Smith and Karen Beaumont, Dove Street Inn, Ipswich, Suffolk
Turnaround: Mahdis Neghabian, Camden Eye, London
Poker: Malcolm Siddle and Fiona Cunningham, Brownlow Arms, Newark, Nottinghamshire
Gastropub: Tim Bilton, Butchers Arms, Hepworth, Yorkshire
Family: Steve Haslam and Jo Drain, White Horse, Ramsden Heath, Essex
Live music: Sophia Yates, Hootananny, London
Entertainment: Philip Wood and Jonathan Breeze, Roxy Bar & Screen, London
Newcomer: Brad and Molly Atherton, Kings Arms, St Just, Cornwall
Green: Richard and Dee Slade, Battlesteads, Wark-on-Tyne, Northumberland
Cellar: Craig Hadfield, Swan Hotel, Newby Bridge, Cumbria
Food: Paul Stapleton and Gareth Atkinson, Old Silent Inn, Stanbury, West Yorkshire
