Portland Arms toasts victory in the Review's search for a festive pub of the year (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Portland Arms toasts victory in the Review's search for a festive pub of the year

2:23pm Monday 14th December 2009 in

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STAFF at the The Portland Arms in St Albans have toasted a victory after being named the city's Festive Pub of the Year.

The cosy tavern in Portland Street gathered more than 60 per cent of nominations and secured the vote of our mystery drinkers in the competition.

Organised by the Retailer of the Year committee, our team of judges were blown away by the pub's festive decor, its jolly Christmas spirit behind the bar and the impressive standard of its festive menu.

Owner Sara Dale, who has been at the pub two years, said: "I'm so excited that we have won the Festive Pub of the Year competition. It's really nice to know our hard work has paid off.

"It's been quite a struggle. It's been hard to try and make it a success. We are a little pub in the back streets of St Albans. It's nice to know that we have beaten other pubs that are bigger and attract more customers. We are so small and hidden away, it's lovely to be recognised in a competition like this."

Pubs nominated in the competition were put to the test by a team of mystery drinkers and eaters, including committee members councillors Roma Mills, Melvyn Teare and Salih Gaygusuz, council officers Maria Cutler and Charles Baker, St Albans Civic Society's Eric Roberts, former Chamber president Sandra Oldfield and Review editor Martin Buhagiar.

Each establishment was then marked on a variety of different criteria including service, drinks selection, standard of decoration and atmosphere.