As the country’s official tourist board, you can trust that VisitEngland knows it’s stuff. Every year, it scours the length and breadth of the country, searching for the crème de la crème of English hospitality. And every year, it reveals its winners at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, spotlighting everything from the finest hotels to the greatest tourist attractions.
Of course, there’s no way you can talk about English hospitality without mentioning the great British pub. Boozers, taverns and free houses are stalwarts of British life and there are tens of thousands of them scattered across England. But VisitEngland reckons there’s one that stands out above the rest.
The Farmers Arms in the small Devonshire village of Woolsery (aka Woolfardisworthy) took the title of VisitEngland’s ‘Pub of the Year’ for 2025. Visit England said: ‘Combining rustic charm with a modern twist, the pub serves up hearty, locally-sourced meals and a wide selection of craft ales and ciders. With its cosy interiors and an inviting beer garden, The Farmers Arms is the perfect spot to relax after a day of exploring the Devon countryside.’
Set within a restored Grade II-listed pub, the Farmers Arms serves up dishes made with ‘hyper-seasonal’ cuisine from its own kitchen garden. Punters can expect elevated versions of all the British classics and a family-style Sunday roast feast that lays all the dishes out on the table ‘so everyone can get stuck into what they like best’.
The pub is part of a small holding called The Collective at Woolsery, which also features accommodation, a corner shop and post office, a gourmet fish and chip shop and a farm. What more could you possibly need?
As for the runners-up – the Blind Bull in Derbyshire was awarded the silver medal while the Griffin Inn in Leicestershire earned bronze.
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