WINNERS of the Gazette’s Pub of the Year 2016 contest in South Gloucestershire have been presented with their awards.

The Swan in Thornbury received the highest number of votes for this area, whilst The Kings Head in Dursley scooped the prize for the Dursley, Cam, Wotton-under-Edge and Berkeley area.

The Rose and Crown in Rangeworthy was crowned winner for the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area.

The winners not only got a trophy but will also get to go on a trip to Parliament with their MP to have a tour of the House of Commons and sell their brewery’s beer in one of the parliamentary bars there. Luke Hall, MP for Thornbury and Yate, presented the Pub of the Year awards to the Swan and Rose and Crown.

Mr Hall said: “Our local pubs such as the Rose and Crown, and the Swan in Thornbury are great hubs for the community and I was delighted to be able to support the Gazette in recognising the value our residents place in them and the vibrancy they bring to our area.

“I am looking forward to welcoming the team up to Parliament soon to further thank them for the great service they provide for our towns and villages.” Sandra Davies, landlady of The Swan, said she was thrilled the pub had won the accolade.

“It is really pleasing to know that people have appreciated the effort that has gone into this place,” she said. Landlady Yvonne Hulbert, landlady at The Rose and Crown, was delighted to win the award for the second year in a row.

She said: “It’s brilliant news. We’re the only pub in this community, and the pub is the heart of the village.”

The Dursley, Cam, Wotton-under-Edge and Berkeley area winner, The Kings Head, is being presented with its trophy from Stroud MP Neil Carmichael at the end of November.

Gazette editor Michael Purton said: “We came up with the Pub of the Year award because there are some brilliant pubs in the area and we wanted to highlight their hard work and high standards. They are far more than just places to eat and drink – they are community centres at the heart of the local area.”