TWO Winchester pubs pulled in top gongs at a recent awards ceremony.

The St James Tavern on Romsey Road, and the Golden Lion on Alresford Road, beat 240 other traditional Wadworth pubs to receive their honours.

Jayne Gillin, licensee at the St James Tavern, was awarded the Chairman’s Award for outstanding achievement, while Derek and Brid Phelan of the Golden Lion took gold in the Retailer of the Year category.

The ceremony, which took place at The Bear Hotel in Wiltshire, on December 3, was second time lucky for Derek and Brid, having narrowly missed out on the award last year.

“It’s really nice to be recognised and we had such a lovely night at the awards. We’re very keen on knowing our customers and we’re very hands on. We make sure we’re on site a lot of the time,” Brid said.

Lloyd Stephens, Wadworth tenanted trade director, said: “Times are testing for everyone in the pub trade, but our winners have demonstrated that good management, excellent beer and creative marketing can build a highly successful pub business.”