THE winner of the Bucks Free Press' Best Pub 2022 competition is The Rose and Crown pub in High Wycombe.

A shortlist of 10 pubs across Buckinghamshire was drawn up and readers were asked to nominate their favourite using a coupon in the paper.

The cosy community pub in the heart of town - is run by Kirsten Palmer.

Kirsten Palmer said: "We’re really delighted to have won this award as were up against some seriously good contenders! It’s been a difficult few years for the pub trade, so it’s been a real boost to be recognised in the local community.

"We have a lovely group of loyal customers and are really pleased they took the time to vote for us.

Ms Palmer has been running the Rose and Crown, for the past four years.

Bucks Free Press: Newsquest Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Since then, the pub have big on supporting the Lionesses by showing the games on the big screens.

The pub is also Cask Marque accredited - a national quality assurance award, and is in the Good Beer Guide.

The Rose and Crown hosts live music on the 3rd Sunday of every month with local acclaimed musician Maz Manzini leading the jam.

In second place was The Weavers, Park Street, Aylesbury and in third place was The Dashwood Roadhouse in Piddington.

The competition is a way of highlighting the county’s excellent pubs at a time when the hospitality industry is under pressure following the pandemic, and as a result of increasing cost of living pressures.

The total number of pubs in the country dropped below 40,000 during the first half of 2022, a fall of more than 7,000 compared with a decade ago, according to the latest research.

Researchers have suggested that while pubs managed to battle through Covid-19, they now face a fresh challenge because of record-high inflation and an energy crisis.