This cosy Meanwood boozer has been crowned Pub of the Year

A pub in Meanwood famed for its Sunday roasts and small plates has been crowned the Pub of the Year at The Great British Pub Awards 2021, with judges noting how it supported its community during the pandemic.

Coming out top in the  Stonegate Group Pub Partners’ Pub of the Year category, the Myrtle Tavern was acknowledged as having become a hub for charity events and community initiatives since business partners Scott Westlake and Rob Vallance took over its management in 2011.

During the pandemic and successive lockdowns, the pub has stepped up for its regulars and locals: offering a befriending service to those who were finding lockdown lonely and hosting live quizzes to bring the community together.

The team at The Myrtle also helped those in need by dropping off parcels and even delivered Sunday lunches to some of their customer’s doorsteps.

This, in turn, meant that the community gave back in kind too – donating to fundraising efforts that were set up to help the pub survive as lockdown continued for the best part of a year and government support for small business proved to be minimal.

Despite having been closed for most of 2020, the team managed to expand – finding, like many hospitality businesses, that the new covid restrictions required greater manpower.

Earlier this year, the pub even transformed its outdoor space into a “secret garden” with a big screen for films and sports screenings – making it even more popular and leading to thousands of bookings flooding in.

The co-owners found out they’d taken home the gong via a live-stream hosted by Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills, and were absolutely thrilled with the result.

Scott said, “It has been a challenging time for the hospitality industry, and for us here at the Myrtle. We have faced many obstacles, but it’s taught us just how important a pub can be for the local community.

“We are honoured to have won and I would like to dedicate this award to my team and our loyal customers for all their support. I look forward to what is to come for the Myrtle Tavern this year and beyond.”

Sharing the news on social media, the team dedicated the award to on of their first customers, John Jordan, and thanked their whole ‘Myrtle family’ for their support:

“Over 3500 pubs in our category, down to 6 finalists and last night we were announced as the winner of Stonegate pub or the year.

“Overwhelming to say the least and we were shocked, Thank you to our Myrtle family and our customers for all your support.

“Dedicating this award to our friend and one of our first customers when we moved in 10 years ago, John Jordan who we still sadly miss. He would have loved to talk about this and wind us up.”

To find out more about the pub visit its website here. Note that the kitchen is currently closed for refurbishment until 6 October 2021.

Feature image – The Myrtle Tavern