THE Oak Inn at Staplow in Ledbury is celebrating being the Herefordshire winners of The National Pub and Bar Awards, 2024.

General managers, husband and wife, Heather Owen and Chris Howell run this popular countryside Inn backed up by “their superb Team Oak colleagues”. The London Award Ceremony is in June, when they’ll find out if they’ve won the overall National UK award.

Chris said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the success over the five-plus years of running this establishment and this award is a well-deserved one for all the hard work and effort.”

Situated just five minutes north of Ledbury Train Station, the Inn is open seven-days-a-week for both lunch and dinner offering Traditional Pub Grub with lots of specials created by their executive head chef Jason Henderson.

Most recently, The Home of Countryside Comfort Food has maintained the Oak Inn’s Number One Restaurant status in the whole of the Ledbury area and their Number One Restaurant in the whole of Herefordshire for their famous Sunday Roast. They have also currently awarded them Number Four Restaurant in the whole of Herefordshire out of more than 440 restaurants on TripAdvisor.

Chris said: “Hence we really appreciate our wonderful customers who keep returning in their hundreds with their loyalty.” 

Team Oak run a huge variety of events throughout the year with popular Free Live Music Supper Club evenings, monthly Charity Quiz Nights and monthly Dog Walks in the beautiful surrounding Herefordshire countryside. They also have four luxury guest rooms, a South-West facing Beer Garden and a themed Patio Bar currently a ‘Rockfield Gin Tiki Bar’. 

Chris said: “And so we eagerly await the outcome of the overall UK winner and whatever happens we’ll definitely celebrate this special award.” 

As well as the overall National award winner, there are also regional winners too of which The Oak is one of six in the West Midlands area. 

The Oak Inn also recently raised £2,000 for a Defibrillator for the outside of the pub. Chris had one of his ‘brainwave ideas’ for a ‘Valentines Love Tree’ whereby customers wrote love heart-shaped messages and gave a voluntary donation toward buying the Defibrillator.

Chris said: “In total we had more than 1,000 hearts hanging on the tree.

“A quiz night raised another £300 and two other pubs also contributed money. It was a real community effort.

“We have just taken delivery of the Defibrillator and it’s being installed next week.”