A POPULAR village pub, once owned by actor Neil Morrisey, is in the running to be crowned National Pub & Bar of the Year.

The Punch Bowl Inn at Marton-cum-Grafton has been included in a list of 94 pubs and bars across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who have scooped up a prestigious County Winner title as part of the 2022 National Pub & Bar Awards.

Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which hosts the event, said: “Just from being out in these venues, you can see how much pubs and bars mean to people across the UK.

“With visitor numbers increasing, it’s more important than ever for operators to deliver a standout service during every visit – no matter the business in question. These 94 County Winners are wonderful examples of the brilliance of today’s modern on-trade. If you live near one of these sites, make sure you pay them a visit.”

They are one of five venues to have officially been named some of the best venues in Yorkshire and The Humber and will compete for the title of National Pub & Bar of the Year.

The other shortlisted pubs are:

• Firepit, Beverley

• Public, South Yorkshire

• The Maven, West Yorkshire

• The Cross Keys Inn, Lincolnshire

The pubs, which have been selected on overall best practice across a number of operational categories, will be officially crowned at a red carpet celebration at 30 Euston Square in June. At the grand final, 15 Regional Winners will also be announced, as well as the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year.

Last year The Press reported how The Punch Bowl was awarded an AA Rosette for their great quality ingredients, culinary expertise and meticulous attention to detail.

Head chef, Alex Wood is inspired by seasonal flavours and uses these to inform the inspired menu at The Punch Bowl Inn. The village pub takes pride in growing their own, fresh produce at their nearby kitchen garden in Mount St John estate in Felixkirk. The private, walled kitchen garden supplies seasonal produce all year round to the Marton-cum-Grafton pub.

At the time, general manager, Paul Neesam, said: “We pride ourselves on the provenance of our food so being recognised with an AA Rosette award is an incredible achievement for us. Alex is an accomplished chef who deserves to be recognised for the incredible dishes he creates, supplemented by produce from our kitchen garden. The hospitality industry has experienced such a tumultuous time so it’s a real honour to be recognised in such a way. We are also hugely grateful to the local community in Marton-cum-Grafton for giving us their support and helping us to achieve this award.”

Once owned jointly by former Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrisey and TV chef Richard Fox, who sold the pub in October 2009, it is now owned by Provenance Inns.