The Ship Inn, Wokingham announced as winner of Fuller’s Glorious Gardens competition.
Fuller’s is delighted to announce The Ship Inn, Wokingham and The Castle, Ealing as the joint winners of its annual Glorious Gardens competition – an internal garden competition across all of Fuller’s 153 Tenanted Inns. Now in its fourth year, the competition saw five Fuller’s tenanted pubs shortlisted who were each visited for a final round of judging by Fuller’s Tenanted Director, Iain Rippon. Dave Jennings, publican of The Ship Inn, and Sam Malham from The Castle were presented with a plaque and a cash prize each at an award ceremony hosted by last year’s competition winner – Paul Marsh at The Queen’s Head in Chesham.
The Glorious Gardens competition is a celebration of outdoor spaces and the care publicans have put into them. As an extension of the pub itself, gardens attract customers throughout the year for a range of occasions – from after-work drinks and weekend socialising to alfresco family dining.
The other competition finalists were The Builder’s Arms in Croydon, The Red Lion in Fernhurst and The Three Horseshoes in Alton.
Winning publican, Dave Jennings, said: “I’m delighted to have won this competition. We’ve invested a lot into our outdoor space – including the addition of a marquee that can be enjoyed year-round and can be booked out for private functions. A big thank you to my team too who help me keep things ship shape.”
Iain Rippon, Fuller’s Tenanted Director, said: “Congratulations to Dave and Sam. This is the first time we’ve had joint Glorious Gardens winners – which just shows how close the competition was.
“While judging the finalists, I saw some really imaginative uses of outdoor spaces. A number of the gardens are being used to support local ecology and biodiversity through features such as insect hotels and wildflower patches – encouraging nature to thrive in these spaces. Some finalists have herb gardens and vegetable patches which are a great use of space – and the items grown in the gardens can be used in dishes and as drink garnishes. The amount of care that has been put into making these gardens and outdoor spaces look immaculate is incredible – with the use of planters, rock gardens and decorations.
“The finalist gardens were all set up to be enjoyed year-round – encouraging alfresco dining with outdoor kitchens, to bring that extra flair, and outdoor-specific menus.
“The Glorious Gardens competition is a great opportunity for our pubs to showcase their outdoor spaces – which are key trading areas year-round. It’s a real privilege to visit the finalists to judge the gardens. It’s great to see the care our publicans take in looking after their gardens to make sure they’re comfortable for customers come rain or shine.”
