The Black Swan hotel in Cumbria, has been named Britain’s ‘Best Inn 2018’ at this year’s Great British Pub Awards. The national industry Oscars were hosted by The Morning Advertiser, with John Smith’s acting as the leading sponsor, at a glittering award ceremony in London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel on Thursday 7th of September, to which a shortlist of the UK’s elite pubs & industry experts attended.
Louise Dinnes, who has privately owned The Black Swan for the past 12 years, was overwhelmed to receive the award, alongside her daughter Eleanor, on behalf of her loyal & dedicated team of staff. The former ‘AA pub of the year’ beat off five other finalists ranging from North Yorkshire to Cornwall, after completing the rigorous judging process which included management questionnaires, mystery visits & telephone interviews.
On the evening, Louise commented “I feel very honoured to collect this award, it’s a fantastic achievement for our pub, a complement to my dedicated staff & a real highlight for our local community of suppliers, whom we work so closely with.’’
When asked, what attributes make The Black Swan stand out, Louise stated ‘’We are constantly striving to deliver a consistent product, reinvest in the business & improve the service that we offer. We are lucky to have a fabulous building & location & we have managed to install a very individual style into the pub. Meanwhile, the front of house staff are encouraged to showcase their personality in the service & our food offering is constantly evolving since Scott & his kitchen team were awarded 2AA rosettes in September last year.’’ She finished by saying ‘’What’s most important, is that we don’t ever lose the true feeling or identity of being a local pub, whilst maintaining the highest standards in all areas.”
The pub is open all year round, for breakfast, morning coffee, lunch & dinner, hosting 16 bedrooms with the recent addition of 3 glamping tents in the riverside garden. Over the past year, Louise has also established the “Ravenstonedale Retreat”, which is a charitable cause aimed at helping guests suffering from myeloma (bone cancer) and their families to enjoy a much-needed break, all in memory of her husband Alan Dinnes, who died of multiple-myeloma in 2016 after a long illness.
