Wednesfield pub announced as finalist in Great British Pub Awards
The Ashmore Inn, Wednesfield, has been announced as a finalist in the Great British Pub Awards for its fantastic work in supporting the local community.
Shortlisted in the Hawthorn Pub of the Year category, Pub Operator Kevin Ward and the team at The Ashmore Inn impressed the judges with their exemplary standards and dedication to the local community, and now face stiff competition from the five other finalists.
The pub is owned by Proper Pubs, the Operator Managed platform of Hawthorn, the Community Pub Company, which owns more than 140 local, community pubs across Scotland, England and Wales.
A true community hub, The Ashmore Inn has recently benefitted from a £10,000 investment to its outdoor area, which included the addition of more covers and shelter to ensure the pub could continue to trade when restrictions were in place. The pub is well known for its excellent standards amongst locals, and is a true community champion.
The Ashmore Inn also impressed the judges with their dedication to the local community. Throughout lockdown Kevin and the team promoted local businesses on their social media pages, collected food donations, and organised donations of hand creams to support nurses at the local hospital. The pub has even been recognised by Jane Stevenson, MP for Wolverhampton North East, for its efforts in supporting the community during the pandemic.
Kevin, who has been running the pub for nine years, said: “I’m lost for words. When we arrived at the pub nine years ago it was in a terrible state and facing demolition, and we’ve been able to completely turn it around. It’s an overwhelming feeling to be one of Hawthorn’s top six pubs, and just to be shortlisted is a huge testament to the hard work of my entire team. Everything we do as a pub is to support our customers and the local community, so to be recognised for that is an amazing thing.”
The finalists will be visited by the judges over the next few weeks, with the winners set to be revealed on Tuesday 28th September. This years’ awards will take on a hybrid format to include a livestreamed awards ceremony and an overall winners’ event, where one overall winner from across all of the categories will go on to be awarded the title of Great British Pub of the Year.
Mark Brooke, Director of Proper Pubs, said: “We are thrilled for Kevin and the whole team at The Ashmore Inn for being announced as finalists in the Great British Pub Awards. At Proper Pubs we encourage all of our Operators to be community heroes and this nomination is testament to the hard work Kevin has put into making the pub a thriving community hub. The work they have done for the local community is admirable, and we wish everyone at The Ashmore the best of luck.”