THE LANDLORD of an historic Evesham pub has described how honoured he feels on being awarded Pub of the Year 2026 (Worcestershire) by the Shakespeare CAMRA.
Tom Doggett, first-time licensee and owner of the Red Lion in Market Square was given the accolade by the branch which covers the south Warwickshire and Evesham district.
The award now means the Grade II listed drinking hole is in the running to become the Worcestershire Pub of the Year across all CAMRA branches across the county.
Tom Doggett, who took over the running three and a half years ago told the Observer: “It’s an absolute honour to win the award, especially as it’s an award which is taken very seriously by the people who give it out.
“The reaction from our customers has been nothing short of phenomenal, they are so happy for us, and I think that in itself shows the community spirit we’ve engendered in the pub.”
He puts the businesses success down to ‘care and commitment’ from staff and suppliers, and the ‘fantastic atmosphere’ the patrons help to create.
Tom emphasises his ethos on buying local which is across the board from real ales to local ciders and spirits.
“The breweries we work with are almost exclusively local, mostly within fifty miles, although we’ll look further afield for specialist beer, such as gluten free which we always have available.
“But local doesn’t mean quality by default – we make sure we buy from people with a similar ethos to us, people we can enjoy working with,” he added.
He also credited the hard work of his team. “You can’t do something like this on your own, it has to come from people working together.
“Our staff are the absolute foundation of that, and without their hard work, enthusiasm, and attention to detail we wouldn’t have a chance.”
The Red Lion, which is first recorded as being a public house in 1728, hosts a range of live music acts, a monthly singer/songwriter night as well as a variety of quizzes and quirky events.
