Which Northern Ireland pubs have been crowned best in UK?

Pubs and bars from across the UK are celebrating after being named the best in their respective counties….with six from Northern Ireland.

The award wins are part of the 2024 National Pub & Bar Awards, which each year crowns nearly 100 county winners from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, giving each site a unique platform to promote themselves and increase guest footfall from locals and visitors alike.

The Northern Ireland winners were Hearth in Antrim, Keegan's, Armagh, The Dirty Duck Alehouse, Down, Charlie's Bar in Fermanagh, Blackbird in Londonderry and Tomneys, Tyrone.

Each of these pioneering hospitality operators have demonstrated excellence across a number of elements that affect the customer journey, including design, service, style of offer, marketing and investment.

The venues now have over two months in which to trade off their win, before making their way to the National Pub & Bar Awards grand final on June 26.

Held in London, the final will welcome all 94 county winners to come together and celebrate their achievements, before discovering which venues will go on to become regional winners.

The awards night will also crown the Pub Group of the Year, Bar Group of the Year, The Tyrrells Tyrrellbly Good Taste Award – presented by the event’s headline sponsor – and, finally, the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year.

“The fact that we had record entries for the 2024 National Pub & Bar Awards tells us two things,” explained Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which runs the event.

“One is how highly the industry regards these accolades, which is fantastic. But, also, it shows that more operators are in need of really positive and strong publicity to help drive business at the moment. Pubs and bars are facing some of the biggest challenges in recent history, so if the National Pub & Bar Awards can help by lifting sales across these venues, then we’re delighted to play our part.”

The National Pub & Bar Awards 2024 is sponsored by Tyrrells, ICRTouch, Kerrymaid, Panasonic, Santa Maria and Sky Business.