STAFF and regulars from a Malvern pub have been celebrating after receiving their trophy for winning our Pub of the Year award.

The Bluebell in Barnards Green was named Malvern Gazette Pub of the Year for 2019 at the end of December, after gaining more votes from our readers than any other watering hole in the district.

General manager James Grant received the trophy this week, and he has also been invited to the House of Commons by West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin.

When the Bluebell was announced as winner, 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 for us.

“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.”

Support for the establishment shone through in the voting slips that flooded into the Malvern Gazette office.

Readers’ praise included that The Bluebell has a great atmosphere and is 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.”

Runner-up for 2019 was the 2018 winner, 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."

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, which is a fantastic community pub and a deserving winner of the award.”

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