Front Page bar is province’s ‘Best Neighbourhood Pub’

Judges’ praised the Front Page for being the life blood of the local community, raising money for charity and supporting local teams and initiatives.

The judges’ were also impressed by the perpetual commitment and passion of the owners to improve and enhance their locality and their ability to inspire and motivate others.

Commenting on the awards, Mark Stewart, chairman of Pubs of Ulster said: “This year’s Pub of the Year Awards have once again highlighted the quality that exists in the local pub trade right across Northern Ireland. We have world class pubs right on our doorstep and the awards allow us to recognise this by rewarding the excellence that exists in the industry.

“I would like to thank all the pubs who entered this year’s awards and congratulate all the winners, especially the Front Page, for showcasing the very best that the local pub trade has to offer.”

The Pub of the Year Awards is the culmination of an extensive search for the best pubs in a range of categories across Northern Ireland.

Finalists were selected following an extensive judging process and were judged, depending on their category, by written submissions, interviews or by independent mystery shoppers.

An independent judging panel comprising of Martin Breen, editor of the Sunday Life; Gary McDonald, business editor of the Irish News; Adrienne McGill, business editor of the News Letter; Paul Connolly, managing editor of the Belfast Telegraph and Louise Murphy, editor of Hospitality Review then decided on the overall winners.

This year’s ceremony also saw the Pub of the Year Awards first posthumous honour, as the late Joey Dunlop was celebrated for his contribution to the local licensed trade with Pubs of Ulster’s Chairman’s Award.

The special award, presented by BBC sports correspondent Stephen Watson to members of Joey’s family, recognises the role Joey played in establishing one of Northern Ireland’s most famous pubs, Joey’s Bar. The award also honours Joey’s tireless charitable efforts, which often saw him make regular trips to Romania to deliver aid to orphans.

During the awards chair, Mark Stewart also called upon all of our elected representatives to show their support for the licensed trade.

Whilst Northern Ireland has a modern industry, facing modern challenges, it does so under the restraints of outdated legislation.

Pubs of Ulster is therefore continuing its call for modernisation of current licensing laws, ensuring pubs remain a major economic asset to Northern Ireland and the livelihoods of thousands of people employed throughout the industry are safeguarded.