A BEAMINSTER hotel and restaurant has been recognised with a regional award for the fifth year on the trot.

The Bridge House at Prout Bridge, has been awarded a gold medal for both its restaurant and hotel in this year's Taste of the West Awards.

Owners Mark and Jo Donovan, have been running The Bridge House for the past 14 years.

Jo said: “'We are proud and delighted to win gold for best hotel and restaurant in this year's Taste of the West Awards. "This is the fifth year running that we’ve received a gold award for our two AA Rosette restaurant."

Mark added: "This achievement is thanks to our brilliant staff, whose hard work in the kitchen and high levels of customer service help us to excel in making Bridge House a place where our customers come back again and again.

“We believe our gold award is also maintained by the new services we offer customers, such as our recently opened cocktail bar run by Bridport-based barman Lloyd Brown of The Grey Bear Bar Company.

"Hotel residents and restaurant guests have thoroughly enjoyed the unique cocktails on offer, all made from locally produced spirits that we are keen to promote and support. Our cocktail masterclasses have also been very popular with people who live locally."

Bridge House was also awarded Trip Advisor’s 2017 Certificate of Excellence award last month based on consistently great reviews from customers.

West Dorset boasted a host of other Taste of the West Awards this year. The Anchor Inn at Seatown won gold in both the dining pub and the bed and breakfast categories, while Aroma won gold for café / tea room at both its Bridport and Lyme Regis premises. Washingpool Farm won gold in the farm shop category, the Alexandra Hotel, Riverside Restaurant and Sladers Yard also picked up gold awards in the restaurant category of this year's wards.

The Three Horseshoes in Burton Bradstock and the New Inn in Beaminster collected dining pub gold awards. Downhouse Farm near Eype won gold in the café /tea room category and Dorset House in Lyme Regis was recognised with a gold award in the bed and breakfast category.

For more information, visit tasteofthewest.co.uk