Three Punch Taverns pubs have won prizes at an annual awards ceremony to find the best licensed premises across England and Wales.

The Beer Garden of the Year was awarded to the Princess in Rawdon, West Yorkshire, Newcomer of the Year was Melissa Price at the Tilted Wig in Warwick, and Innovation of the Year was ‘A Grelha’ at The Gun, Coldharbour Lane, Docklands, London.

The awards, part of the prestigious Pub of the Year event by leading licensed trade publication the Morning Advertiser, were presented at a glittering awards ceremony at the Billingsgate Conference Centre in London.

David and Claire Smith of the Princess received an engraved silver trophy for their courtyard-style beer garden, which now has pride of place in the pub.

Melissa Price, of the Tilted Wig, Warwick, was named Newcomer of the Year. She has been licensee of the popular pub since April 2005 and, along with partner Mark Benton, has subsequently taken on two more Punch Taverns pubs.

Brothers Tom and Ed Martin of The Gun received the Innovation of the year award for their A Grelha (the grill) Portuguese-style fish barbecue concept.

Commenting on the awards Francis Patton, Punch Taverns’ customer services director, said: “We are extremely pleased to see Punch licensees picking up three awards at what are the licensed trade’s ‘Oscars’. These awards are well deserved and recognise the hard work put in by all of the winners.”

Punch Taverns is the UK’s largest pub company with an estate of more than 9,300 leased, tenanted and managed outlets.

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