George and Dragon fight off the competition

Archived press release

Date Published: 24/11/09

Darren and Charlotte Curtis accept the winner's trophy from AVDC Chairman, Councillor Janet Blake

Regulars at a Quainton pub are toasting their landlord’s success after their local was voted the best village pub in Aylesbury Vale.

The George and Dragon beat dozens of nominated hostelries to be crowned the overall winner in this year’s Aylesbury Vale Village Pub competition.

Aylesbury Vale District Council runs the award every year in memory of the late Councillor Ted Payne and to recognise the important role that village pubs play in community life, especially if there are few other local meeting places.

The council received more than 300 nominations for 50 pubs across the district and the judges rated the pubs on the friendliness of welcome, examples of community involvement and the quality of food and drink on offer.

In the case of The George and Dragon, the judges were particularly impressed by the staff, who offered a warm welcome and went the extra mile for customers, and the pub’s support to the local community, including hosting a post office for the village on Wednesdays.

The Queen’s Head in Wing and The New Inn in Padbury won the awards for Best Food Pub and Best Community and Family Pub respectively. The Bell in Chearsley and the Old Red Lion in Great Brickhill were also highly commended.

Councillor Pam Pearce, Cabinet Member for Community Matters, said: “We were delighted by the high standard of nominations. The support all the pubs enjoy from their customers and communities is testament to much hard work and a determination to fight back against the recession and other pressures – and flourish in business.”

All 14 finalists have been chosen to appear in a guide of the recommended village pubs of Aylesbury Vale. Copies of this guide will be available from tourist information centres and various outlets across the Vale from mid-December.

Previous winners of the Aylesbury Vale Village Pub of the Year title include The Unicorn at Cublington and The Queen’s Head at Wing.