Owners of a historic pub on the Herefordshire border have said they are “over the moon” to be nominated for a prestigious national award.
The Old Black Lion in Hay on Wye has been nominated in the 2023 National Pub & Bar Awards and has already been named county winner.
The historic inn has been on the site since the 13th century and took its name from the ‘Lion Gate’, the original walled entry to Hay-on-Wye.
Owners Gill and James Walton have said they are thrilled to be awarded the honour and said it was a reward for the hard work of their staff.
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“When we found out we were awarded the Best Pub and Bar in Powys we were over the moon,” said Mr Walton.
“It recognises the hard work our entire team puts in to provide great service to every customer. We focus on top quality local food and drink in a relaxed setting with friendly service to match.”
This follows a number of awards the pub has already picked up, including the Best Gastro Pub in the Good Food Awards two years in a row.
“Having continued success with the Good Food Award and achieving 2AA Rosettes, this further achievement means all our hard work is paying off," Mr Walton continued.
"The team put so much effort into ensuring all our guests have a lovely time with us, the whole team is being recognised for what they do.
“Whilst we are proud of our awards, it’s the continual positive feedback from our customers that we love.”
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Mrs Walton praised their “fantastic team” and said the aim of the business is to support the local community as much as possible.
“We want to stand out by not only providing outstanding service to all our guests whether they are our local customers, regular customers or those stopping by but also supporting local businesses and the community as best we can,” added Mrs Walton.
“Hay-on-Wye is a fantastic town, and we want people to have a great place to eat and drink to top off their visit.”
The couple has said that whilst they would like to win they just feel honoured to be up against such excellent establishments from across the UK.
“We know the bar is set high, any of the finalists are worthy of the award,” said Mr Walton.
“We are very proud to get this far and wish all the finalists of our category the best of luck."
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