The Red Lion, a community pub in the heart of Chobham won the Admiral Taverns pub of the year, at the Great British Pub Awards. Owned by pub group Admiral Taverns, the pub is run by passionate licensees, Garry Tallent and partner, Sandy Masson.
Garry Tallent, licensee at the Red Lion commented on winning the award: “Winning the Great British Pub Awards is a tremendous honour and the best we could have ever hoped for. We are over the moon. This award is not just for us, it’s mainly for all the staff who make this place. Our TripAdvisor page is flooded with compliments to all our friendly and wonderful staff, and we couldn’t have done this without them. We’ve had such a tough time during covid like everyone else, but to pull through and be recognised in a new light for all the hard work is fantastic.
Garry, Sandy and Admiral Taverns have spent around £250,000 refurbishing the village pub since they took it over in 2019. The pub hosts a spectacular garden with outdoor lights, plants and its own vegetable patch, which is used for their menu.
Ian Ronayne, Managing Director at Admiral Taverns, commented: “Congratulations to Garry, Sandy and the team on an excellent achievement, rightly being recognised for all their hard work. Gary and Sandy spend a lot of time ensuring their offering matches the needs of the local community and this award is true testament to all the staff’s commitment at the Red Lion.”
