Pub of the Year awards: Historic Staffordshire inn wins Express & Star award
A pub has celebrated success after being voted the best in Staffordshire as part of the Express & Star Pub of the Year awards.
The Littleton Arms, located on St Michaels' Square, Penkridge, came up top trumps for the region for the Staffordshire Pub of the Year competition, collecting 788 votes.
It was followed by the George IV, located on Bore Street, in Lichfield, which came second, and The Shoal Hill Tavern, located on Sandy Lane, in Cannock, which came third.
Tony Later, who has owned the pub since 2005, said: "I am absolutely ecstatic, I have owned it for 11 years and this is the first award I have won. I couldn't be happier for the team.
"It has been a joint effort by everyone."
Toby Marut, general manager of the pub, said: "I think we are obviously over the moon.
"Our secret to success is down to great ales and customer service.
"We serve a lot of local people in Penkridge and the nearby areas but we also have a lot of people who stop by from the motorway."
The George IV received 444 tokens and the Shoal Hill Tavern earned 322.
The pub was built in 1793 as a coaching inn and was central to village life.
The pub has three restaurant sections and can hold up to one hundred people.
"It is not massive but is definitely cosy with a lot of character," said Toby.
He added the favourite alcohol there was Bathams.
"We like to get a mixture of local and national beer," he said.
Andy Maxwell, circulation sales manager at Express & Star, said: "We had dozens of pubs nominated and it has been terrific to see so many customers get involved by voting for their favourite.
"I'm delighted to award each one with a certificate they can proudly display."
