William Wordsworth's 'local' in Grasmere has been nominated in the 2024 National Pub & Bar Awards.

Pubs and bars from across the entirety of the United Kingdom are celebrating after being named the best in their respective counties.

The award wins are part of the 2024 National Pub & Bar Awards, which each year crowns nearly 100 county winners from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, giving each site a unique platform to promote themselves and increase guest footfall from locals and visitors alike.

These pioneering hospitality operators have demonstrated excellence across several elements that affect the customer journey, including design, service, style of offering, marketing and investment.

The best in the North West that will compete for the title of National Pub & Bar of the Year

  • Cheshire, Cholmondeley Arms
  • Cumbria, The Swan, Grasmere
  • Greater Manchester, BOX
  • Lancashire, Britannia Tap and Grill
  • Merseyside, Mean-Eyed Cat Bar

The Swan

Since undergoing a major refurbishment last year, The Swan has enjoyed incredible success and welcomed more than 18,500 guests through the doors.

General managers Nellie Buxton Brown and Nigel Brown recently spoke with us about how the past year has treated them.

Nellie said: “It’s been an incredible first year for us at The Swan, from our big reopening to a very busy New Year’s Eve and a good summer season, we’ve been delighted to be back.

“Getting back to being a more traditional pub with rooms there has been a good split between accommodation, food and drink trade and we’re determined to build on the foundations that we’ve laid."

Fun fact, it is also the former local of William Wordsworth which featured in his 1806 composition The Waggoner.

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The venues now have over two months in which to trade off their win, before making their way to the National Pub & Bar Awards grand final on 26 June.

Held in London, the final will welcome all 94 County Winners to come together and celebrate their achievements, before discovering which venues will go on to become Regional Winners.

The awards night will also crown the Pub Group of the Year, Bar Group of the Year, The Tyrrells Tyrrellbly Good Taste Award – presented by the event’s headline sponsor – and, finally, the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year.

“The fact that we had record entries for the 2024 National Pub & Bar Awards tells us two things,” says Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which runs the event.

“One is how highly the industry regards these accolades, which is fantastic. But, also, it shows that more operators are in need of really positive and strong publicity to help drive business at the moment.

"Pubs and bars are facing some of the biggest challenges in recent history, so if the National Pub & Bar Awards can help by lifting sales across these venues, then we’re delighted to play our part.”

The National Pub & Bar Awards 2024 is sponsored by Tyrrells, ICRTouch, Kerrymaid, Panasonic, Santa Maria and Sky Business.