The top honour went to the Golden Lion & Lakeside restaurant, at Menherion, by Stithians Lake, in recognition of the pub's all round excellent service.

Tenants at the pub, John and Wendy Glosby are celebrating the achievement, which was announced at a lavish awards evening at the Headland Hotel, Newquay.  

It is the fourth year in a row that a St Austell Brewery pub has won gold in the awards and this year the Brewery swept the category, also picking up silver and bronze prizes.

To win the ‘Pub of the Year' award the Golden Lion had to impress the judges in a range of categories including its welcoming feel, service and cleanliness and commitment to using Cornish produce in ingredients.

John and his wife Wendy have been at the Golden Lion for 12 years. John said how thrilled they were when they heard they had won: "After 12 years at the pub, being crowned the best pub in Cornwall is absolutely fantastic. Last year winning silver was great but this is the ultimate accolade.

"We have a really strong team behind us, including our daughter Sherie and her husband David, and we could not have won without them. Winning the award comes as a great boost for us all in the run up to the busy festive season."

The Golden Lion is spectacularly set, with views over Stithians Lake. Inside, the pub has three open fires to warm customers as they enjoy a choice of traditionally cooked, locally sourced food along with a choice of award winning St Austell ales.

Adam Luck, Estate Director of St Austell Brewery, said the award for the Golden Lion was a fantastic achievement for everyone at the pub.

Adam said: "It's a great honour for a St Austell Brewery pub to be named the best in Cornwall for the fourth year running and to also receive silver and bronze prizes in the same category is a fantastic achievement.

"I'm full of praise for all the hard work and dedication put in by our pub tenants and managers across the St Austell Brewery estate, and none more so than John, Wendy and the team at The Golden Lion who fully deserve their accolade."

The Cornwall Tourism Awards were launched in 2002 to draw attention to the county by celebrating all aspects of the industry and recognise the tremendous changes in tourism quality throughout Cornwall.  

Independent Travel Editor and presenter of the BBC Holiday programme, Simon Calder, opened this year's glittering awards ceremony in front of an audience of more than 280 invited guests.

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EDITORS NOTES:

The Cornwall Tourism Awards, now in their sixth year and organised by Visit Cornwall, have become one of the most prestigious events in the County's tourism calendar.

To enter the ‘Pub of the Year' category pubs nominated themselves before being short listed by the panel of judges.

The Gold Award in the Pub of the Year Category went to the Golden Lion.

Silver went to the Norway Inn, Perranarworthal, and Five Degrees West, Falmouth was awarded Bronze.