Raise a glass to two Dorset pubs which have reached the finals of a prestigious competition.

Tom Brown’s of Dorchester and the Gaggle of Geese in Buckland Newton are finalists in the Great British Pub Awards.

Tom Brown’s is up for ‘Community Hero,’ whilst Gaggle of Geese is up for two awards including ‘Best Pub for Families’ and ‘Best Pub Garden.’

Katy Jones, manager of Tom Brown’s said: “It’s amazing, we have entered before, but we never got this far, it’s such a great pub – it’s great for the locals as well.

“There is some really tough competition, but we put ourselves out there and we do really try and embed ourselves into the community.”

The ‘Community Hero Award’ is open to pubs which have succeeded in building a successful business that is at the centre of its community, offering a range of facilities to their locals, showcasing how a pub can be the hub of a community.

The Dorchester pub often runs charity events and plenty of community events including stand-up comedy, pottery, live music and quizzes.

Simon Coltuhoum, who owns the Gaggle of Geese with his wife Sarah, said: “We are really proud to have got through to the final six and as we are a family run pub, we always wanted it to be family friendly and it is nice to be recognised.

“To get to the final is amazing - it’s a bit like the Oscars for pubs.

“It’s a unique space and we are the only pub in the village and it’s been a village effort to get the pub up and running.”

The ‘Best Pub for Families Award’ is for pubs that cater for all ages and for who keep the family market as a key part of their business, whilst the ‘Best Pub Garden’ winner will have an exceptional outside space that has been well designed and developed to offer customers an outstanding experience.

Gaggle of Geese boasts five acres of garden with shepherd’s huts, a play bus for children, Pygmy Goats and tepees, offering camping opportunities for visitors.

This year’s Great British Pub Awards will take place in Manchester on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.

You can find out more about this year’s line up and categories here: https://greatbritishpubawards.co.uk/live/en/page/2022-finalists