Winners of the Dorset Echo's Pub of the Year say they take pride in winning.

The Lugger Inn on West Street, Chickerell has been voted the best pub in the area, as voted by our readers.

The inn was established in 1873 and is named for the village's fishing history, specifically a type of small fishing boat that uses one or more lugsails named a lugger.

Dorset Echo: From left to right; head chef James Mines, chef Shaun Murphy, co-owner Liam Coles, co-owner Gillian Charlton, manager Hayley Knight, waiting staff Ben Norris. Picture: Cristiano Magaglio

Manager Hayley Knight said: "We are delighted to win, our goal has been to provide for the community and they have spoken up for us, and that makes us very proud.

"We work to have a welcoming environment and to be a true public house, we are not just a place for dad to have a pint, the whole family can come down.

"We put a massive focus on ethos and events, we always dress up the pub and staff for calendar events and make sure inclusion is king."

The Lugger Inn holds kids days, family events, barbecues and live music, often with local talent like the Haze and older genres such as Replay.

They have opted against using an app to order drinks and food, instead encouraging interaction between customers and staff. In fact, the pubs tagline is 'the life and soul of Chickerell', with staff referred to as soul providers, customers as Lugger souls, and kids as mini souls.

Dorset Echo: The Lugger Inn have won the Dorset Echo's pub of the year. Picture: Cristiano Magaglio

The inn have run charity events for years now and has raised £5,000 so far for local charities. They have also raised money to have a defibrillator installed in the heart of Chickerell. The Inn even plan to start their own charity trust later this year, so they can better distribute money raised to charities and individuals in need.

A constant supporter of the Chickerell United (Chickerell Chickens) football team, donating £2 from every chicken wings sold.

Hayley added: "We have a really diverse clientele, from young families to pensioners, which is part of the reason we won, because we are here for everyone.

"Thank you to all the Lugger souls who voted for us and helped make the Lugger Inn the Dorset Echo's pub of the year."

The current owners Liam Coles and his mum Gill Charlton are locals living in Chickerell, who took over in 2020 during the pandemic.

Dorset Echo: Co-owner Liam Coles and co-owner Gillian Charlton. Picture: Cristiano Magaglio