Our Winter Pub of the Season is the Dying Gladiator in Brigg. Located on Bigby Street just behind the High Street, this uniquely named, attractive, community pub has come back from the brink in recent times. Once boarded up for over two years, it was bought by local farmer Robert Borrill, and in 2010 was leased by first-time licensee Peter Carter, who runs the Gladiator helped by wife Vida and son Stuart. Peter previously ran a transport company for thirty years, but has been at the helm at the Dying Gladiator for the last eight months.

The pub has a statue of the aforementioned gladiator over the entrance, and this is often sought out for a souvenir photo by visiting tourists. Inside, the pub is open plan in design, but with four discrete drinking areas, one of which has leather sofas. The bar area has a tile floor, and the pub is simply, but tastefully decorated, and displays vintage photographs of Brigg on the walls. They also have a real coal fire for the colder months of the year.

Four real ales are sold: Dying Gladiator (4.0% ABV), a house beer brewed by Tom Wood, Black Sheep Bitter, Tom Wood's Bomber County and Batemans XXXB, all kept and served in good condition. The pub is a free house, but seems to have settled on these beers as they are very popular with customers, and is open all day from 11am-11pm (later on Fri/Sat). The pub relies almost exclusively on wet sales, but does produce daily sandwiches. A poker night is held on Wednesday, and Peter is currently developing a snooker/pool hall in a large room at the rear of the pub.

We congratulate Peter and family on this award, presented on Saturday 12 February at 12.00 pm.

This popular pub has a strong commitment to real ale, helped in no small part by the enthusiasm of manager Paul Ferguson and staff. Not only do they host the two national Wetherspoon beer festivals in Spring and Autumn each year, but also put on mini beer festivals featuring real ales from a couple of breweries, often those suggested by customers. Recent minifestivals have seen beers from the likes of Kelham Island, Bradfield, Goose Eye and Thornbridge adorning the bar.

The quality of the beers is excellent, and Wetherspoon's policy of offering a pint of real ale for under £ 2 clearly pays dividends with customers. The pub also offers value for money breakfasts from 8am, and has a varied full and snack meal menu all day up to 10pm, which appeals to people of all ages. The curry night on a Thursday is always particularly well supported. On a Wednesday evening the pub hosts a popular pub quiz, with a cash prize for the winning team. The pub always has a good selection of real ales, as well as an extensive range of ciders and bottled beers.

Jim & Sarah Woodhouse took over the pub in the early summer of 2008 and were awarded the Winter 2008-9 Pub of the Season award after significantly turning the pub round in a very short space of time. Jim is an experienced licensee of 25 years' standing, with Sarah joining him for 16 of these. They have run several traditional pubs in London, the Home Counties and North Lincolnshire, all serving cask ales.

Not content with their initial success at the Wheatsheaf, Jim and Sarah are constantly striving to improve the pub. After immediately refurbishing the kitchens in conjunction with Enterprise Inns, Sarah & Jim have invested personally in redecorating throughout, creating a very attractive outside seating and patio area and their most recent improvement being a very impressive hand carved wood panelled fireplace and log burning stove in the main room of the pub.

On the beer side they have now increased the selection of hand-pulled ales to six and are making full use of the SIBA scheme, enabling pubs to access ales from small independent brewers. Jim has also worked very hard on temperature control in the cellar enabling the Wheatsheaf to be awarded the Cask Marque accreditation.

There are three regular cask ales: Theakston's Best, Wells Bombardier and Theakston's Black Sheep plus 3 rotating guest ales which have recently included Deuchars IPA, Woodforde's Wherry and Everard's Tiger. The pub also hosts a beer festival August Bank holiday weekend.

The Wheatsheaf has occupied a prominent position on the main road through Barton from the 18th century, and stands on the corner of Holydyke and Brigg Road. It has a list of former licensees on the wall dating back to 1791. The pub has an unspoilt, traditional atmosphere, with regulars enjoying classic bar games of dominoes and crib. There is a bar, snug and a large drinking/dining area plus a summer beer garden and private car park.

The couple have secured a 10 year lease and regulars and visitors to the pub can look forward to quality beer and food for a long time to come.

This traditional village local has remained more or less unchanged since being bought and refurbished by Highwood Brewery, in this case a positive attribute.

The pub is open plan in design, and is simply but comfortably decorated and furnished in rustic style. Photographs of village life adorn the walls, and a large hop bine overhangs the bar in impressive fashion. The main bar also has a welcoming real fire for the colder months. A games area is used for darts, and table skittles are provided. A popular pub quiz is staged on a Tuesday evening. The attractive outdoor drinking area is framed by a number of mature trees, and is popular when the weather is clement.

Two real ales from the Tom Wood range are always available, supplemented by a rotating guest beer. Occasionally a third Tom Wood beer is added at busy times such as Christmas. The pub has disabled access and a disabled WC is provided.

The Pub of the Season award for Winter went to the Horn Inn at Messingham. This popular village local is fast improving under new mine hosts Dean & Michelle Swaby, who took over the reins in August last year. Dean is an experienced pub licensee, having started out at the Ironstone Wharf in Gunness in 1991. Dean & Michelle ran the Bruce Arms in Masham for seven years (the only John Smiths pub in the village!), before returning to the pub trade at the Horn Inn.

The Horn is owned by the Enterprise pub company, but Dean has access to the SIBA list of real ales and has Black Sheep Bitter and Ale as his regular beers, plus three rotating guest beers. Recent guests have included St Austell Tribute, Timothy Taylor Landlord and Copper Dragon, Kelham Island and Batemans beers, including Rosey Nosey from the latter over the Christmas period.

Michelle, in conjunction with the regular Horn Inn kitchen staff, oversees the production of a range of tasty, good value meals, available every lunchtime (12 noon-2 pm, including Sunday Lunch 12 noon-3 pm) and in the evenings (5-7 pm, except Wednesday & Saturday).

Live music is featured on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. The pub also has a thriving dominoes team who play at home every other Tuesday evening, and compete in local leagues.

The pub is being tastefully refurbished in stages, and the exterior and the rear dining area have been completed. Dean is hoping the bar area will be finished shortly, and plans to group his five handpumps together so they can be seen as soon as customers walk in. We congratulate Dean & Michelle on their award.

Autumn 2009 The Haven Inn, Barrow Haven.

Summer 2009 The Berkely Hotel, Scunthorpe.

Spring 2009, The Bird in the Barley, Messingham

Winter 2008/09 The Wheatsheaf, Barton-upon-Humber

AUTUMN 2008 THE SUN & ANCHOR, SCOTTER.

Summer 2008, The Blue Bell, Scunthorpe.

Spring 2008, The White Hart, Brigg.

Winter 2007/08, The Royal Oak, Snitterby.

Autumn 2007, The River Don Tavern, Eastoft.

Summer 2007, The Malt Shovel, Ashby.

Spring 2007, The Dog & Gun, East Butterwick.

Winter 2006/07, The White Horse, Brigg.

Autumn 2006, The House Inn at East Ferry.

Summer 2006, The Nelthorpe Arms at South Ferriby.