TABLE TALK
September 2010

The Swan Hotel in the Lake District is home to a traditional Lakeland pub, which was crowned with the Best Cellar Award at the 2010 Great British Pub Awards last Thursday 9 September. The Swan serves an extensive range of traditional ales supplied by the local brewery, Cumbrian Legendary Ales and offers a meticulously researched wine list combining superb vintages with rare bottles.

The Swan, which beat seven other contenders for the award, made it to the finals after winning the Best Cellar Award for the North West this summer, scoring a near perfect 97%. Sponsored by Innserve, the UK’s largest national independent drinks dispense service company, the award was presented based on the high quality and hygiene standards of The Swan’s cellar operation and the exceptional skills of the licensee and staff demonstrated in the management of drinks dispense.

Sarah Gibbs, The Swan Hotel & Spa’s General Manager said "The Great British Pubs Awards celebrate the very best that the pub industry has to offer and we are delighted that our cellar has been recognised as the best in the country. We take great pride in our work, always ensuring we meet our customers’ needs when it comes to offering first-class hospitality. Thanks go to our loyal staff and customers, without whose support we would have not won this award.“

The Swan Hotel & Spa is housed in a converted 17th Century Alehouse and re-opened in June following a £4million refurbishment. It was devastated during the Cumbrian floods in November 2009 and is now looking better than ever.