Top spot for Milnthorpe hotel

11:00am Sunday 16th November 2008

A SOUTH Lakeland hotel is celebrating after a near perfect score scooped them a top award.

The Cross Keys, Milnthorpe, achieved a score of 99.27 per cent in Frederic Robinson brewery’s annual search of Cumbria and Lancashire for the pub with the best kept bar and cellar.

Licensees, Ian and Sandra Mills, were thrilled with the result: “We were over the moon when we heard that the Cross Keys had been singled out as the best,” said Mr Mills. “We have consistently been in the top positions before but never actually won the competition. This year’s achievement is a real credit to all our staff who take an enormous pride in what they do.”

To win the coveted top spot in the competition – that takes in Robinson’s pubs throughout Cumbria and Lancashire - every aspect of the bar and cellar was put under close scrutiny.

The Cross Keys beat off tough competition, with only one and a half percentage points separating the top three pubs.

“Not only is this award a real achievement but confirmation of our national Cask Marque accreditation which highlights the quality of the cask conditioned beer that we serve,” said Mr Mills.

An awards ceremony was held at the hotel, where Oliver Robinson, director of Frederic Robinson Ltd, presented the winners with the Eric Simpson Trophy, which was specially inscribed to mark the occasion.

The prize also included a barrel of Robinson’s cask beer.