A RENOWNED pub chain has been awarded a prestigious prize.

Butcombe Brewing Co, which runs The Victoria Arms in Old Marston, won the Best Managed Pub Company in this year’s Publican Awards.

The awards are considered to be the ‘Oscars of the industry’ and the brewery fought off fierce competition from some of the UK’s most popular pubs to win the award.

The company hugely expanded last year, taking over The Victoria Arms from the Wadworth pub chain in November 2020.

Jayson Perfect, Group Managing Director of Pubs & Inns at The Liberation Group, which owns Butcombe Brewing Co, said: “To win Best Managed Pub Company at these prestigious awards is such an honour and pays testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone in the business - from the teams at our pubs, head offices, breweries and distribution centres.

“This year has obviously been incredibly challenging and we’ve often had to react to circumstances quickly, change direction and think on our feet.

“But one thing has never changed, and that’s our passion for what we do and our dedication to providing our guests with the very best hospitality around.”

Butcombe Brewing Co also runs several other pubs across the county including The Beehive in Carterton.

Ed Bedington, a judge at the Publican Awards said: “The Publican Awards are the benchmark of excellence for the hospitality trade, and Butcombe should be rightly proud of their success in the competition.

“It’s an event that attracts the best in the business and to finish top is quite the achievement.”

The Victoria Arms will be reopening for the first time in six months next week for outdoor bookings.

The pub closed its doors for the second time on November 4, when England went into its second national lockdown, but after getting the go-ahead on Monday by the Prime Minister, it will reopen on Wednesday 14.