The Three Tuns pub in Coppergate, York, has been serving locals and visitors to the city since 1782.

It is the quintessential British pub and has become a tourist attraction in its own right, serving quality ales and hearty pub grub and where staff go out of their way to point out places of interest to visitors.

Which is why the Three Tuns has been entered in the Tourism and Hospitality category of this year's The Press Business Awards.

Jason Hawkins, the director of J&L Hawkins Ltd, the company which runs the pub, has also entered the Business Personality award category.

He said: ‘‘Customers are the most important thing in my business. We provide a friendly, welcoming environment – a great local pub in a fantastic city."

Jason grew up in the pub industry and has worked as a barman up to area manager and now director of a company which has just taken on another well-known York pub, The Blue Boar, formerly the Little John.

He is one of only 30 British Institute of Innkeepers mentors in the country for new and existing licensees, helping them to gain a valuable insight into the pitfalls of running a pub in the present climate.

The Three Tuns offers an ever-changing range of award winning cask ales and its menu is made up of homemade British pub classics and daily specials, with ingredients sourced from local businesses whenever possible.

The pub, which is a member of Visit York, has a host of accolades to its name.

It has twice been a finalist in the York Tourism Awards, was awarded second place in the Marston's Pub of the Year Awards for cask ale pubs in the north of England for the last two years running and was shortlisted for the Daily Telegraph/Famous Grouse Awards 2012 for the top 100 pubs in the country.