AFTER your votes flooded in, we can announce that The Bluebell Inn has been crowned the Malvern Gazette Pub of the Year.

The Barnard Green pub’s manager, James Grant, said he was shocked and thrilled the pub had won the competition, and thanked everyone who voted for them.

Mr Grant said: “We aim to please and be welcoming to everybody who walks through our doors, so it is amazing they have taken the time to vote. We want people to feel at home here. Since I arrived, we have wanted to be a real community hub so I’m really pleased people are supporting us.

"This year we raised £8,000 for charities – it is very rewarding.”

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Support for the establishment shone through as it received praise on the nominations slips that flooded into the Malvern Gazette office.

Readers’ praise included that the pub has a great atmosphere and was a “wonderful community pub”. One voter wrote: “Welcoming, cosy, and fab food, reasonable priced. The pub is involved in many fundraising events for community charities.”

In runner-up was the 2018 winner of the competition, the Wyche Inn. Its voters said it served great food, had excellent beers, and friendly staff. One reader added: “Cannot recommend it enough.”

In third place was the Green Dragon. One of its voters said:“It is a real pub run by a welcoming couple,” while another said: “always welcoming”.

As Pub of the Year winner The Bluebell Inn now receives the trophy and the landlord receives an invite to the Houses of Parliament from MP Harriett Baldwin.

Michael Purton, Malvern Gazette editor, said: “The competition has once again proved a massive success with readers making the effort to back their favourite pub.

"Congratulations to everyone at The Bluebell.”