Battlesteads wins top wine award

The Battlesteads Hotel in Wark, Northumberland scooped the Pub Wine List of the Year award at The Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) annual Awards for Excellence 2011.

Wines served at the pub, owned by Richard and Dee Slade, all have eco credentials, such as biodynamic, organic or Fairtrade.

Graham Threader of the BII, who sat on the judging panel, commented: “Battlesteads is a business focused on providing a green/sustainable proposition to customers. The wine list mirrors this faithfully, but not blindly — the wines have to be really good in their own right.

“Wine descriptions help make selection easy by colour, grape variety, country and taste style. Importantly, wine by the glass is widely available. Wine training is offered to staff and business results suggest that the overall offer is well received.”

The BII linked up with the AFWS in 2010 to recognise that pubs offer excellence in food and wine and deserve to be recognised alongside restaurants as such.

Battlesteads has won many awards for its green ethos as well as the PMA’s Pub of the Year 2010 award.