Award-winning Sussex village pub wins a new honour

An award-winning village pub has come in for another top accolade.
Staff and customers at the award-winning King's Head pub, Billingshurst SUS-200213-102802001Staff and customers at the award-winning King's Head pub, Billingshurst SUS-200213-102802001
Staff and customers at the award-winning King's Head pub, Billingshurst SUS-200213-102802001

The King’s Head in Billingshurst has been named ‘TEA Drinkers’ Pub of the Year 2020’ after receiving the highest number of votes in a competition run by Surrey brewery Hogs Back during January.

The contest was part of a TEA - Traditional English Ale - campaign to encourage more people to support their local during January, the quietest month of the year for the pub trade.

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The King’s Head beat 220 pubs to clinch the top title and won vouchers for 20 people to take a tour of the Hogs Back Brewery, near Farnham, including a beer tasting, and a certificate for display in the pub.

The pub - which has twice been voted West Sussex County Times’ Pub Of The Year - has been owned for the past six years by Oonagh and Colin Ganley.

Oonagh said: “We’ve just had our busiest January ever and we’re sure the TEA Total campaign played a part, along with our new manager Paul Sweeney, who started just before Christmas.”

She said the competition had “definitely created a great buzz in the pub.”

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Hogs Back managing director Rupert Thompson said: “We were thrilled with the response to the campaign from pubs and their customers, who clearly engaged with the campaign’s messages about banishing the January blues with a walk to the pub and a sociable pint of TEA.

“The Kings Head are worthy winners of the TEA Drinkers’ Pub of the Year title and we look forward to welcoming them to the brewery for their tour.”