AN award-winning Wiltshire pub has picked up yet another prestigious title a year after being named Pub of the Year in a national guide.
The Bell & Crown at Zeals, near Warminster been named as the best in the county in the 2023 National Pub & Bar Awards.
The former coaching inn is among 94 pubs and bars across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland that have scooped up a prestigious county winner title as part of the 2023 awards.
The title comes only a year after the Bell & Crown was named ‘Pub of the Year by The Times/Sunday Times guide to the UK’s best pubs.
Co-owner Ethan Davids, 29, of The Salisbury-based Chickpea Group, said: “We’re buzzing!
“We are super chuffed to be included and are very much looking forward to the award ceremony in London!
“The Bell & Crown is a real gem for us. The team there are fantastic - led by Zoe Guild and Jamie McDougall - who have a real gift in attracting hospitality professionals who know their stuff and really buy in to what we are trying to do.
“The Chickpea Group is a handful of country boozers with rooms and a pizza shop based throughout the South West.
“We are a people-led and standards-driven business and we care deeply about looking after our guests and our teams.
“What the Bell & Crown has achieved in such a short period since opening our six bedrooms is beyond fantastic, and something we are very proud of.
“Our thanks go to the whole team at the Bell & Crown, our hard-working suppliers, and our loyal and lovely guests.”
Located just off the A303, the Bell & Crown features six letting rooms and an outside dining area.
Ethan Davids runs the pub chain with his sister Jordan Davids, 27, and their business partner Tommy Tullis, 29.
They took on the Bell & Crown in 2019 and opened the pub in January 2020 following an extensive renovation and refurbishment programme and only opened its six letting rooms in April last year.
The Chickpea Group also owns the Pembroke Arms in Wilton, the Grosvenor Arms in Hindon, the Dog & Gun at Netheravon and has recently acquired the Queen’s Head at Broadchalk.
The Bell & Crown is ideally located for guests to visit nearby tourist attractions such as Longleat House and Safari Park, Stourhead House & Gardens, Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.
Both general manager Zoe Guild and head chef Jamie McDougall have moved to the Bell & Crown from other parts of the business.
Zoe said: “Following a pretty serious renovation project that we carried out at the beginning, The Bell is now the cosiest we have.
“The pub now has six complete simple and stylish letting rooms on top - it’s nice to be able to finally offer guests the option to stay too.
“Like all our pubs, the outside dining area is covered with a large stretch tent and the space changes with the seasons.
“The Bell is a place to breathe in the country air and really relax,” said Zoe.
The National Pub & Bar Awards said all 94 pubs have been selected on overall best practice across several operational categories.
They will be officially crowned at a red-carpet celebration in London in June, where 15 regional winners will also be announced, as well as the esteemed accolade – the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year.
The National Pub & Bar Awards aim to highlight the positive and inspiring work being carried out across the UK’s hospitality industry.
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