Owners at a popular pub near Ipswich are overjoyed after receiving a national award.
The Freston Boot, between Ipswich and Woolverstone, has been named the Suffolk Pub of the Year at the National Pub and Bar Awards.
The popular pub, brought back to life in 2018 after years of closure, has regularly been praised for its amazing food and family friendly atmosphere – boasting its own in-house cinema.
It claims to be the first fully cashless pub in the UK and has looked to continue innovating in the face of the pandemic.
Damon Jeffrey, one of the pub's owners, said he is overjoyed by the prestigious award win.
"We are all really, really chuffed," he said. "It came as a bit of a shock.
"It has been such a struggle for the last year or so during Covid, to have won this with Freedom Day on the way feels really good.
"It has been a really tough year for pubs but our team has done so well, everyone has come together and embraced it – the things we've managed to achieve are epic."
Mr Jeffrey added he believes the pub's diversity as a restaurant and place to sample an array of craft beers has helped it become so popular.
He said: "I wanted this pub to have everything I'd dreamed of in London but wasn't able to do.
"We've got so much going on – we've got our own farm where we source the vegetables for our dishes, we get our eggs from our own chickens and honey for dessert from our bees.
"We're looking at hosting our own mini music festival and comedy nights in our tent, as well as outdoor yoga sessions.
"Pubs have to do everything they can to adapt these days and we've done just that."
Tristan O'Hana, editor of the Pub & Bar Magazine, which hosts the awards, said: "I’ve never been prouder of this industry.
“The entries for this year’s awards demonstrated the undeniable value that communities place on their beloved pubs and bars.
"To be able to acknowledge the hard work and diligence of venues across 94 UK counties is an absolute privilege.
"These outstanding venues deserve this recognition now more than ever.”
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