Business

Horatio Group toast double success in UK National Pub and Bar Awards

Denvir’s in Downpatrick which toasts 350 years in business this June
Denvir’s in Downpatrick which toasts 350 years in business this June Denvir’s in Downpatrick which toasts 350 years in business this June

TWO iconic pubs linked to hospitality company the Horatio Group have picked up accolades in the influential UK National Pub and Bar Awards.

Denvir's Coaching Inn in Downpatrick – believed to be the oldest surviving coaching inn in Ireland – has been named Best Pub in Co Down, while the Northern Whig in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter won Best Pub in Antrim in the awards organised by Pub & Bar magazine.

The Downpatrick bar, which is co-owned by the Horatio Group and its general manager Chris Dagens, toasts 350 years in business this June.

And for the Northern Whig, the recognition marks a brand new chapter following its £2 million acquisition by the group and a £300,000 refit in 2016.

Both establishments will now will now be in the running for Best Regional Bar – or even Best Pub in the UK – at the National Pub & Bar Awards at BAFTA auditorium in London on May 23.

Stephen Magorrian, managing director of the Horatio Group, said: "We’ve been working hard to build the portfolio over the last few years and are thrilled that two of our venues have been recognised as being among the best in Northern Ireland."

In total, 94 pubs from across Northern Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland were selected as 'Best in County'. Other winners from the north include The Corner House in Armagh; The Taphouse in Fermanagh; Dorman's in Derry' and Time Bar in Tyrone.