Fuller, Smith & Turner has announced that The Wykeham Arms in Winchester is the 2024 winner of its Pub of the Year competition – The Griffin Trophy. The competition is open to all Fuller’s 185 Managed Pubs and Hotels and 153 Tenanted Inns and sees the winner take home the coveted Griffin Trophy.
The Wykeham Arms, managed by Jon Howard, is a stunning 18th century pub between Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College. Popular with locals and tourists alike, The Wykeham Arms is a bustling hub that offers comfortable respite for those exploring the surrounding area.
The pub’s menu has been crafted by Head Chef Luke Emmess who won the Chef of the Year competition in 2019 and the Under 25s category of the same competition in 2016. For 13 years in a row, The Wykeham Arms has been awarded two AA Rosettes for culinary excellence.
The pub also supports two local charities with sales of its famous Wyk Pie. For every pie sold, the pub donates 25p to the Winchester Cathedral Fund, which contributes to its ongoing restoration, and 25p to Play to the Crowd – a local arts and education charity.
This year’s Griffin Trophy saw 11 pubs reach the final. The finalists were visited by a judging panel – Fuller’s Chairman Michael Turner, Chief Executive Simon Emeny, and Marketing Director Sam Bourke – who selected winners for each category and the overall Griffin Trophy winner. There are four categories in the Griffin Trophy – Best City Pub; Best Town/Local Pub; Best Country/Village Pub; and Best Hotel/Inn.
Michael Turner, Fuller’s Chairman, said:
“Jon and The Wykeham Arms are no strangers to the Griffin Trophy – having been finalists a few times over the years. It is difficult to keep pushing the quality forward each year, particularly after 15 years in the same site, but Jon has done just that in every aspect of the business.
Congratulations to Jon and the team – this is a well-deserved win for a truly exceptional pub.”
Jon Howard, General Manager of The Wykeham Arms, said:
“I’m over the moon to have won the Griffin Trophy. We’ve been in the final before and won our category more than once – but to win the overall trophy is a real honour. I can’t wait to see that shiny trophy behind the bar at The Wykeham. A big thank you to my whole team – this is a great reflection of their hard work – and I’m looking forward to showing off the Griffin Trophy to all my customers from global tourists to the College masters.”
The Wykeham Arms is also the winner of its category – Best Hotel/Inn. The Coach & Horses in Soho was named the Best City Pub, Best Town/Local Pub went to The Holly Bush in Hampstead and the Best Country/Village Pub was awarded to The Berkeley Arms in Chichester.
