THE Lion village pub in Moulton has been named the best in north Cheshire – beating strong competition from Lymm, Warrington and Frodsham.

The North Cheshire branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has awarded the Main Road pub its ‘Pub of the Year’ honour for this year.

It is the second time in five years that the pub has scooped the branch’s greatest honour – a testament to the hard work of licensees Andy and Doll Jones who moved to the village in 2013.

Since then, the Lion has established itself at the heart of the community, not least through its hosting and supporting of popular events.

Northwich Guardian:

Andy said: “Dolores and I are absolutely thrilled to be announced as CAMRA Branch Pub of the Year once again, it’s a terrific feeling.

“Being in such a small village we understand the high standard of competition in the region and we were delighted to even be considered.

“We work very hard to create a lovely atmosphere at The Lion. Receiving recognition like this encourages us to continuously improve what we offer to our wonderful customers.

“Without a doubt, there’s a real ‘togetherness’ in the pub, the village and its community.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers, team, family and friends for their continued support and of course, some quite superb local breweries in the area such as Merlin, Cheshire Brewhouse, Big Hand – too many to mention.”

While beer quality is an important factor in the award, judges also assess criteria such as the pub’s atmosphere, community spirit, cleanliness, accessibility and overall customer experience.

Jim Reddihough, CAMRA branch chairman said: “This is our premier award and for the Lion to have been voted Pub of the Year by our judges for the second time in five years is quite outstanding.

“Not only does the pub sell an excellent range of well-kept ales it is very much a local pub at the heart of its community.”