A pub in Theale, Berkshire, has won the coveted title of ‘most dog-friendly pub in Britain’ after being crowned by a panel of judges from a regional shortlist of 12 finalists.
The Fox & Hounds is run by Jayne Tilsey and known locally for its warm welcome and special touches for canine companions, such as a paw-sonalised dog food menu, comfy dog beds, and an array of water bowls for dogs of all shapes and sizes.
The pub was announced as the national winner of the fourth nationwide Dog-friendly Pub Awards, run by Rover.com, the world’s largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers. The awards celebrate pubs with dog-friendly initiatives and encourage pubs across the country to welcome four legs as well as two.
Jayne Tilsey from The Fox & Hounds was delighted with the news, “Winning this award keeps us firmly on the map as the place to bring your woofer whether you fancy a drink, lunch or dinner. Welcoming dogs into the pub keeps us a community hub and ensures there’s always a conversation point! Being dog friendly is the best part of my day - we love meeting new dogs and getting to fuss them.”
Competition was paws-itively fierce and fur-ocious this year, with over 2,500 pubs entering the awards from around the UK and dog lovers in each region fighting for their favourites; 17,000 votes were placed in total. The twelve finalists (listed below) were then assessed by a panel of judges from Rover, RSPCA, The Morning Advertiser, Your Dog Magazine and The Guardian - with The Fox & Hounds, Theale coming out as the top of the pack.
- The Fox & Hounds, Theale (South East & National winner)
- The Keel Row, Whitley Bay (North East winner)
- The Dog at Grundisburgh (East of England winner)
- The Oak at Baginton (West Midlands winner)
- The Lion at Basford, Nottingham (East Midlands winner)
- The Maltings, Warrington (North West winner)
- The Ship Inn, Teignmouth (South West winner)
- Wags N Tales, Surbiton (London winner)
- The Calder Vale Hotel, Wakefield (Yorkshire winner)
- The Sun Trevor, Llangollen (Wales winner)
- The Stables, Glasgow (Scotland winner)
- Sunflower Public House, Belfast (N. Ireland winner)
An extensive database of dog-friendly pubs across the UK is available for perusal by punters and their pups at pubs.rover.com.
Simon Le Grice from Rover said, “It’s been wonderful to see such a high standard of dog-friendly pubs across the country this year. We’ve had so many fantastic entries, it made judging really tough! For the fourth year running we - with the help of dog lovers up and down the country - have been searching for the best of the best when it comes to dog-friendly pubs, and with The Fox & Hounds at Theale, we’ve found just that.
“The superb service demonstrated shows real consideration for dog welfare and happiness, which we at Rover value above all. The whole Rover pack is proud to congratulate Jayne and her team on winning the national UK Dog-friendly Pub Award and hope that the awards will inspire dog owners country-wide to discover and support their local pubs, while also encouraging more pubs to consider our two-legged friends in their offerings.”
For all the winners and more information on where you can find a local dog-friendly pub, visit pubs.rover.com.
A video of the winning pub, The Fox & Hounds, can be viewed by clicking here
