Hamilton Advertiser

Landladies’ London trip

Duo enjoy glamour event

- Stratton Williams

Two licensees from Bar West headed to London last week for a glitzy award ceremony.

The Almada Street, Hamilton, pub were in the running for a top gong at the National Bar and Pub Awards.

Lynda Stevenson and Linda Mckay, both from Hamilton, attended the grand final at London’s iconic BAFTA theatre.

They fought it out with 94 other finalists in a bid to be voted best pub in Scotland and the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year.

The girls missed out on the main titles but were thrilled to have made it to the final stages of the competitio­n.

Licensee Lynda Stevenson from High Earnock said: “We’re disappoint­ed we missed out but we’re thrilled to have won the prestigiou­s award of best pub in South Lanarkshir­e.there are plenty of top pubs in our area so to come out on top was still a great achievemen­t.

“It’s a credit to the high standards, hard work and friendline­ss of all our staff and to our regular customers who help to create the friendly vibe we’ve become known for.”

Judges looked at a range of criteria from drinks and food selection, events and entertainm­ent, and customer service to pub design and facilities.

Tristan O’hana, one of the judges and editor of Pub & Bar magazine, commented at the time: “South Lanarkshir­e has some amazing pubs and the competitio­n was extremely high, so it’s a real accolade for Bar West to have been selected as the best in South Lanarkshir­e.

“Lynda and Linda operators.”

Since taking on the pub in 2007, friends Lynda (52) and Linda (48) have transforme­d its fortunes turning it into a much-loved watering hole offering freshlycoo­ked food, live music, karaoke and sports coverage.

In 2015 Bar West underwent a major refurbishm­ent, moving the entrance, modernisin­g the interior, opening up windows and creating an outdoor space with a retractabl­e roof. As a result, operators say, food sales have grown.

And this week, licensees Lynda and Linda learned that they have been awarded the Trip Advisor Certificat­e of Excellence for 2016. The award is made to places which consistent­ly receive good reviews. are incredible

 ??  ?? Presentati­on night Bar West licensees Linda Mckay, left, and Lynda Stevenson attended a glitzy award ceremony at London’s BAFTA Theatre
Presentati­on night Bar West licensees Linda Mckay, left, and Lynda Stevenson attended a glitzy award ceremony at London’s BAFTA Theatre

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