Video: Your chance to vote for Yorkshire’s favourite pub

Now the vital and historic role that the Great British Pub serves is to once again be recognised in the form of a competition to find the best that there is in Yorkshire.

Following the massive success it enjoyed last year, the Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub contest is once again being organised - with the public being called upon to nominate their most popular local to take the coveted prize.

The competition, organised by the region’s tourist board Welcome to Yorkshire in conjunction with the Yorkshire Post, is now open to voters who can register and nominate their favourite watering hole at the link below.

Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub is designed to put pride back into the pub industry which has suffered much of late due to widespread closures across the country.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “We want everyone to have their say and tell us about the local they love – it only takes a few seconds, the time it takes to pull a good pint.

“It might be at the core of the community, pulls a great local pint or does fantastic food.

“We firmly believe Yorkshire has some of the finest, most varied pubs in the entire UK and this competition is a celebration of that.”

Last year, the competition attracted some 5,000 votes in total, with hundreds of different pubs across the whole of the region being nominated, proving there still is passion for pubs in the UK’s biggest county.

The top honour was taken by the Shibden Mill Inn near Halifax, with the George and Dragon at Hudswell coming in second and the Shoulder of Mutton at Kirkby Overblown picking up the third spot.

The 17th century pub’s victory was a personal one for owner Simon Heaton, who worked hard alongside his business partner Glen Pearson to put the pub on the map.

He said: “It was a huge honour to win in 2011 – the positive effect on business has been fantastic. We had our busiest ever December and lunchtime trade increased immediately after receiving the award and continues.

“The competition also helps put a real focus on good pubs that play a key role, whether it is in tourism or simply the local community.

“We would definitely encourage people to get involved this year – we will be.

“We were obviously really surprised and pleased to win. We were delighted to get down to the last six and it was nerve-wracking as you do not know what you are going to be judged on.

“What I think was most special about this one however was that it was voted for by the public, the people who actually come into the pubs - that for us was special.”  

As part of the nominating process the public have to say in 20 words why their nomination is worthy of the title. Nominations for this first round of voting will continue until May 20.

The first round of votes will result in a top 30 list of pubs, which are set to be included in a Yorkshire Ale Trail, produced by Welcome to Yorkshire.

A panel of judges, including Mr Verity and Yorkshire Post editor Peter Charlton, will then select 10 finalist pubs from this shortlist.

The public will then once again have the opportunity to vote for an overall winner from this shortlist, with the polls opening again from June 9. The process, using a simple click voting system, will run until July 1.

That winning pub, plus runners up, will be announced one the first day of the Great Yorkshire Show, with the winning pub being handed the trophy of Yorkshire’s Favourite Pub 2012.

• For more details and to cast your vote, go here