Meet the finalists: The Lowther Arms, Mawbray

The Lowther Arms, Mawbray has been nominated by News & Star readers as one of the ten finalists in its 'Best Pub 2024' award.

The pub, which is located in the village of Mawbray, is run by husbands Carl McIntosh Ormerod and Ben McIntosh Ormerod, who took over in June 2023, with The Lowther Arms now open seven days a week.

After being informed that The Lowther Arms has been nominated as a finalist in the News & Star's 'Best Pub 2024' award, Carl was on hand to express his delight. 

He said: "I am absolutely over the moon, it is brilliant.

"We have put a lot of work into the pub since we took over in June. We have done a full refurbishment of the property with new tables, and chairs, and we have rebranded everything.

"It is all about standards and service for us so a nomination like this is something we have been aiming for."

Carl also discussed what it is he believes has made The Lowther Arms at Mawbray such a favorite in the village, from its quality food to quality service.

He said: "I think that because it is a family-run business people see that we take pride in everything that we do.

"We have revamped the full menu, we serve locally sourced food, we get all our meat from the local butchers and our potatoes from the farm down the road and we take pride in it  - we don't just chuck out frozen food.

"Service is a massive thing, Ben really focuses on the service side, setting the standards, and making sure that the place is immaculate for every visit."

For Carl, The Lowther Arms' connection to the community is also crucial and he explained how the pub ensures that it also gives back to its village.

"We give a lot back, we have got a play park that is run by the community, and after every quiz night that we do we make a donation that goes to the play park.

"A percentage of the shop goes to the village church and it is just about making sure that everyone is alright.