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.

The Haven Inn is a freehold pub run by Paul and Gillian Bayram who came here three years ago from running the Tiger Inn in North Newbold.

The inn was built in 1730 as a coaching inn for travellers using the nearby ferry and has remained a place renowned for its hospitality, food and comfortable lodgings ever since. It is located on Ferry Road off the A1077 at nearby Barrow-upon-Humber. It has a large car park and overlooks a small canal and fields at the rear with a view towards the Humber Bridge.

Paul and Gillian have extended the business and carried out extensive renovation to the building and garden. It boasts a warm and welcoming lounge bar with low ceiling and large farmhouse tables, a large public bar with pool, darts and games machine, a conservatory and restaurant as well as a function room and twelve guest bedrooms available for B&B.

The restaurant off the conservatory is well appointed and has a varying menu that offers a blend of good quality, traditional English food alongside dishes with a Mediterranean and Italian influence. They also hold gourmet nights.

The Haven Inn serves three real ales, Timothy Taylors Landlord, Tom Wood's and Black Sheep Bitters. They also serve Thatchers cider which makes a refreshing change from the usual ciders.

Our Pub of the Season award for summer went to the Berkeley Hotel located on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe, a short distance from the Glanford Park football ground.

The Berkeley is a large, impressive 1930's hotel, comprising a lounge, public bar, function room and dining room.

Mine hosts are Shane & Theresa Hodkin, who have been in the pub trade for twenty years, having worked for pub companies Bass Taverns, Marstons and Punch. They recently spent four years at the Gamekeeper in nearby Scotter. They will have been at the helm at the Berkeley for a year, come October.

The real ale on offer is Sam Smith's Old Brewery Bitter, served in excellent condition through handpumps. There is also an impressive range of Sam Smiths keg and bottled beers, cider and lager, including Sovereign Bitter and Extra Stout (and whisper it, these aren't half bad). Even the spirits are Sam Smith's own brand!

Meals are available at lunchtime and in the evening throughout the week (except for Sunday evening), and families are welcome in the dining room. The pub also has seven rooms offering comfortable accommodation. A popular quiz runs every Wednesday evening. Pub games are catered for in the back bar, where dominoes and pool are played. The pub pool team play in a local pool league, and have been very successful.

Shane & Theresa are enjoying their time at the Berkeley, and are eagerly looking forward to the football season! We congratulate them on winning this CAMRA award.

The Pub of the Season award for Spring 2009 goes to the Bird in the Barley in Messingham. Situated slightly laid back from the main road just before Messingham (travelling from Scunthorpe), the pub is gaining a reputation for being one of the best dining places around, (word of mouth being an even better recommendation than any good beer of food guide). However, far from being considered a gastropub, the Bird in the Barley is attracting a growing number of discerning drinkers, happy to sit and relax on the leather sofas and chairs with their drinks in the quiet, warm and comfortable drinking area.

The owners, William and Debbie Jackson, who previously ran operations at the Wortley House Hotel and who have run this pub now for five years, are happy to think that their pub caters for all types of customer, ranging from groups of people out celebrating with a meal and a drink, to friends out for a pint and a chat, to people on their own being able to drink and relax and not feel intimidated in their surroundings.

The bar manager, Simon Roach, as well as keeping a good selection of wines, spirits and keg ales, also keeps three cask ales (sometimes four!), usually with Jennings Snecklifter and Marstons Pedigree as regulars, with two rotating guest ales, which have recently included Wychwood Hobgoblin.

The Bird in the Barley is a great place to eat or drink, and is a regular entry in the annual CAMRA Good Beer Guide

Jim & Sarah Woodhouse took over the pub in the early summer of 2008 and have now secured a 10 year lease. 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.

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 pub is a part of the Enterprise Inns pub chain, and serves a range of excellent quality beers and home-cooked food at lunchtimes and in the evenings. There are 3 regular cask ales: Theakston's Best, Wells Bombardier and Theakston's Black Sheep, plus a rotating guest ale from Enterprise's guest list, which has recently included Spitfire, Hobgoblin, Tim Taylor's and Bateman's XXXB.

Jim and Sarah have made a huge difference to the Wheatsheaf in a short space of time, and we congratulate them on winning this well-deserved award which will be presented on Saturday 7 March at 12 noon.

Mine hosts at this attractive village pub are Paul & Carol Brown. Paul is an experienced licensee of 15 years standing, having been at the helm in a number of local pubs and clubs including the Wheatsheaf at Hibaldstow, the Horse & Cart at Scawby Brook (where he briefly brewed beer for the pub on the premises), and Brigg Servicemens' Club. Paul & Carol took over the reins at the Sun & Anchor 2 1/2 years ago. The pub is owned by Premstock Inns, a subsidiary of the Enterprise pubco, which also own the Crown in Messingham. Paul has traced the history of the pub back to 1216, when the pub was named after a sun and anchor crest on King John's shield.

The pub has a large, well-appointed lounge with a separate public bar with pool and darts, and is well represented on the sports front with pool and football teams in local leagues. Live sporting events, particularly football and rugby, are also popular with customers when shown on the pub's large TV screen. Unusually in this day and age the Sun & Anchor relies totally on its wet sales. They do utilise the barbecue in the garden however, and encourage customers to bring their own food to cook during the summer months if the sun happens to shine.

Paul offers handpulled Courage Best Bitter and a rotating guest beer, with the guest coming from an extensive monthly list produced by Enterprise. Recent guests have included Batemans Virgo Ale, Milestone Black Pearl and Cottage Southern Bitter, with Cottage E-Type due shortly.

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.