11th February 2016
THE Lord Crewe Arms at Blanchland has been named Britain’s best shooting pub in an awards scheme organised by the Countryside Alliance and Country Life magazine.
The iconic Northumbrian hotel also won the award for the north’s best sporting pub in the competition sponsored by Pol Roger Champagne.
Popular throughout the year, it reaches a peak during the grouse shooting season, taking on additional local employees to help look after shooting parties, supplementing the 25 full-time and 10 part-time members of staff employed throughout the year.
Director of shooting for the Countryside Alliance, Adrian Blackmore, said: “The Lord Crewe promotes all that is important in our countryside, and its commitment to the local and sporting community has been rightly rewarded through winning these two awards.”
Moorland Association director, Amanda Anderson, said the accolade was a fitting tribute and praised management and staff for their hard work in achieving prestigious national acclaim.
She added: “Grouse moor management creates 42,500 work days a year and is responsible for over 1,500 jobs. Following a good breeding season, associated spin-offs from shooting are worth in excess of £15 million, benefiting many local businesses.
“Across the north, grouse shooting boosts rural economies. Many rural businesses and people benefit.”
General manager of the Lord Crewe Arms, Tommy Mark, said: “Being recognised as Britain’s best pub for shooting and best sporting pub in the north goes to the heart of what the Lord Crewe Arms is all about.
“Since our April 2014 relaunch, we have enthusiastically embraced our dramatic North Pennine setting and heritage and have a respect for timeless, seasonal traditions – yet we try to do so in a modern, lively and down-to-earth manner.
“These immensely covetable awards affirm that our warm hospitality is highly sought after by those seeking the best of the countryside.”
This is the first year of the Britain’s best sporting pub competition and hundreds of nominations were made by the public, keen to put their favourite watering hole after a long day shooting, in the saddle, or on the river bank forward for the honours.
