Berkshire pub wins most dog-friendly award
The Fox & Hounds in Theale, Berkshire has been crowned this month as the most dog-friendly pub in Britain in the nationwide Dog-friendly Pub Awards.
Known for its “warm welcome and special touches for canine companions”, the pub takes top spot in the fourth annual nationwide Dog-friendly Pub Awards, presented by pet sitter and dog walker network Rover.com.
Video of the winning pub can be seen here.
Eilir and Charles Rogers, winners of last year’s Dog-friendly Pub Award ‘The Dog’ at Grundisburgh in Suffolk, said: “We know that being dog-friendly is not just the right thing to do, it’s good business too. Many of our regular younger customers come in with their dogs and we’ve even seen a rise in numbers of canine companions in the past year or so.
“Being able to bring your dog to the pub with you is really important. We’ve had customers in the past who say they’d have to get a dog-sitter or choose somewhere else. In the current climate, businesses need to do all they can to attract loyal customers and for pubs, one solution can be to become dog-friendly.”
According to the organisers, some 27% of millennials surveyed said that if they knew of more dog-friendly pubs in their area they would take their dogs with them, and 32% said they preferred their dog to some family and friends, indicating a clear opportunity for pubs to open their doors to four-legged friends to encourage more returning custom.
Rover marketing director Simon Le Grice said: “It is a great shame that pubs still ban dogs, and a missed opportunity for publicans. In an ideal world, we’d love for every pub in the UK to be dog-friendly! The Rover Dog-friendly Pub Awards celebrate pubs across the UK that welcome man’s best friends and give them a happy and safe environment to hang out in. We know that 40% of people say they wish they could spend more time with their dogs but struggle, so we’d love to see that change.”
Other winners:
- The Fox & Hounds, Theale (South East & National winner)
- The Keel Row, Whitley Bay (North East winner)
- The Dog at Grundisburgh (East of England winner)
- The Oak at Baginton (West Midlands winner)
- The Lion at Basford, Nottingham (East Midlands winner)
- The Maltings, Warrington (North West winner)
- The Ship Inn, Teignmouth (South West winner)
- Wags N Tales, Surbiton (London winner)
- The Calder Vale Hotel, Wakefield (Yorkshire winner)
- The Sun Trevor, Llangollen (Wales winner)
- The Stables, Glasgow (Scotland winner)
- Sunflower Public House, Belfast (N. Ireland winner)
An extensive database of dog-friendly pubs across the UK is available for perusal by punters and their pups at pubs.rover.com.
Simon Le Grice from Rover said, “It’s been wonderful to see such a high standard of dog-friendly pubs across the country this year. We’ve had so many fantastic entries, it made judging really tough! For the fourth year running we – with the help of dog lovers up and down the country – have been searching for the best of the best when it comes to dog-friendly pubs, and with The Fox & Hounds at Theale, we’ve found just that.
“The superb service demonstrated shows real consideration for dog welfare and happiness, which we at Rover value above all. The whole Rover pack is proud to congratulate Jayne and her team on winning the national UK Dog-friendly Pub Award and hope that the awards will inspire dog owners country-wide to discover and support their local pubs, while also encouraging more pubs to consider our two-legged friends in their offerings.”
For all the winners and more information on where you can find a local dog-friendly pub, visit pubs.rover.com.
