Winsford pub makes prestigious national awards final

The Punch Taverns establishment will represent the north west in the Best Entertainment Pub category for the Great British Pub Awards - a nationwide search to find the best pubs and licensees in the UK.

The awards, run by the Publican’s Morning Advertiser, recognise licensees across the country in a broad range of categories – from the quality of their cask beer, their food offer, to the support they provide to their local community or how they have turned their pub business around.

Punch’s partnership development manager, Barrie Aspinall, said: “The Great British Pub Awards reward licensees that demonstrate real excellence and we wanted to ensure that Damon and his team received the recognition his deserves for all his hard work and consistent effort in this field.

“We nominated the Red Lion, Winsford in the Best Entertainment Pub category as they have transformed the pub with different events every night of the week, using mainly home-grown talent from the creative community that meets, works and socialises in The Red Lion.

“Congratulations to Damon and his team for reaching the final and representing North West - we’re wishing them the best of luck.”

Damon Horrill added: "The Red Lion had failed and was closed when we took it on 5 years ago, I'm very proud of the team's efforts. 

"It is such an important pub for Winsford. We have started to attract a lot of boats, walkers and cyclists. It helps having fantastic, engaged, friendly locals who are as keen as us to make The Red Lion work.

"It would be great to win something, but we are thrilled just at being shortlisted, there are a lot of pubs in this country afterall.

"After The Old Star won the nationwide competition to represent British pubs in Rio, its just great that Winsford is being recognised for the quality of its pubs and the wonderful communities that use them."

The Red Lion will be attending the awards ceremony on September 11 at The Hilton in London.