The Wyche Inn has won the Malvern Gazette Pub of the Year 2018 competition.

Hundreds of people have named their favourite pub since the contest launched in October, but The Wyche Inn was the clear winner with almost twice as many votes as the second placed pub.

With a great selection of ales and food, the pub in Wyche Road, Malvern, was praised by both regular customers and less frequent visitors.

Landlady Steph Daly told the Gazette that the team at the pub were still in shock at winning the award.

She said: “We’re still shell-shocked. The fact that little old Wyche on the hill won and that so many people voted for us is amazing.”

Steph added: “We’re a homely pub, we have some great quality ales and great food cooked by brilliant chefs.

“We’ve got a great team of staff with some excellent chefs and staff who have been here for a long time now and it is great to have that continuity.”

All of the independently-run pub’s real ales are sourced from microbreweries and all of the meat used is supplied by D.T. Waller and Sons butchers in Ledbury.

They also have themed food days such as steak on Tuesdays, curry on Thursdays, Friday’s cod and chips and Sunday roasts

Steph said that having a close-knit team makes the pub what it is, adding: “People know each other and customers know us so it means we gel really well together.

“As far as next year’s Pub of the Year goes, we’ll give it a real good go.

“I’d like to thank all our lovely customers who voted for us and for their support over the years.”

Voters chose the Wyche Inn for being “warm and welcoming with friendly staff and great food.”

As their prize for winning the competition, Steph and landlord Tony Skelton will receive a trophy and an invitation to visit Parliament with Malvern MP Harriet Baldwin.

Second place in the Malvern Gazette competition, after a late flood of votes, was The Bear and Ragged Staff in Bransford.

One voter for the Bear said: “Although I have left the area now, for many years I went to the lunch club at the Bear and was always greeted by Linda and Gary in a very friendly way – I always enjoyed the food too.”

Third place went to The Nag's Head, with voters praising its atmosphere and staff.