Team at Wigan historic boozer are pub company's rising stars!

Janet and Tony Jones, who run the Boar’s Head near Standish, picked up the accolade from Marston’s for the work they have put in since a major refurbishment at the Wigan Road watering hole last year.

Other news: Residents in uproar over plans to convert newsagent's shop into a takeawayThe gong was one of six given out at the company’s annual Pub of the Year Awards which celebrate great work that Marston’s tenanted and leased businesses do.

Janet and Tony are currently writing the latest chapter in the lengthy history of the Boar’s Head and expressed their delight at being recognised.

Janet said: “To win the Rising Star award was amazing. Since our refurbishment last November, we have tried to build the Boar’s Head into a great pub for the local community and we couldn’t have done it without the hard work of our staff.

“It has been a real team effort and we want to thank everyone who has supported us, especially our customers and Marston’s, to help put the Boars Head back on the map.”

The Boar’s Head is one of the oldest inns in Wigan and could also have one of the longest histories of any boozer in the UK.

A plaque outside says the site dates back to 1450 but it is thought there could be newspaper cuttings referring to a pub on the spot as early as 1271.

To win the Rising Star award Janet and Tony battled through two rounds of the judging process.

Departments from Marston’s head office came to see the pub before an internal panel of experts for each category judged those shortlisted.

Tenants were considered based on their ambition and the changes they made to the pub since taking over behind the bar.

In the Rising Star category The Boar’s Head stood out for the high standards Janet and Tony run the pub at and the way every one of the employees is engaged in every area of the operation.

This, the judges said, contributes to making service a smooth, high-quality experience for the pub’s customers.

Jenny Nalborczyk, part of the Pub of the Year Awards team at Marston’s said: “Our annual Pub of the Year Awards allows us to really celebrate the work and effort put in by the licensees and their team over the year.

“It is important to us that we recognise the achievements of all our pubs, and we are tremendously proud of all the winners.”

The other awards dished out at the ceremony were for the best food menu, stand-out service, community spirit, best entertainment and events and best selection of drinks.

The awards were handed out at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield.