A LLANDEILO pub has been named the best pub in Wales at an awards ceremony.

The Cottage Inn, in Cae Sgubor, was recognised as the best pub in the country at the Countryside Alliance Awards in Cardiff last Wednesday.

Landlord, Bryan Jones said the award came as a complete shock, but it showed the hard work that everyone at the pub had put in.

The pub was nominated by customers in November and were informed they’d made it to the final in December.

Mr Jones said: “We convinced ourselves that we wouldn’t win despite making it to the final because the other people we were up against were of such a high standard.

“I am very much a dairy farmer who is looking after a pub. I’m not a publican by any stretch.”

He attended the awards ceremony, held in the Senedd on March 7, with his wife and eight of the longest serving staff at The Cottage.

“The night went really well,” added Mr Jones.

“It was a complete shock when we won.

“It is a very humbling experience to find out that people think so much of us.

“We do a lot of different shows and events at the pub, and a lot of clubs in the area use the pub as a base for meet ups and events.

“I like to think that we have become a big part of the community in Llandeilo.

“The response we have had to winning has been amazing. We have had more than 1,000 people on our Facebook page congratulating us.”

The Cottage Inn will now go to the House of Lords, on April 25 to find out if they are crowned the best pub in the UK.