GREAT craic, friendly hospitality and superb local ale has earned The Four Alls, in Ovington, a country pub of the year title.
The award was announced by the Darlington branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra).
The pub came third in the category in 2019 and second in 2020.
Landlords Dave and Christine Nixon say they are thrilled with the recognition.
Mr Nixon said: “We have a loyal following and good local support. We are delighted we got the award – we didn’t know anything about it until we got the call.”
The beer on tap at the pub is exclusively from Mithril Ales, which is brewed in nearby Aldbrough St John. People can enjoy Flower Power or the slightly darker Kingdom of Ovingtonia, which is made especially for The Four Alls.
Mr Nixon said: “It is a very nice beer and we’ve had lots of compliments about it.”
He added that the pub had been busy since Covid restrictions had eased, not only with locals but also due to people staying at nearby holiday accommodation. Mrs Nixon said: “A lot of people re-book in the holiday cottages because they love coming to the pub. On Trip Advisor we’ve been asked, ‘can you bring your pub to us’.”
Currently the pub is open four days a week, Wednesday to Saturday, from 5pm to 11pm, but there are plans to re-open again for Sunday lunches.
