Brakspear rewards green-fingered licensees

September 26, 2013

Henley pub operator and brewer Brakspear has announced the winners of its annual ‘Brakspear in Bloom’ competition with prizes going to the licensees at the Chequers in Fingest and Clayton’s in Marlow.

The competition was open to all 145 Brakspear pubs and separated those with traditional gardens from those with more limited outdoor space – who were nonetheless working miracles with tubs and hanging baskets. Eight pubs were short-listed and visited in order to select the overall winners, who were:

Best Pub Garden: Emma & Jaxon Keedwell, the Chequers at Fingest. A traditional English cottage garden, designed and lovingly nurtured by Emma over the last two years to create an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. Emma & Jaxon receive £1,000 from Brakspear to spend on their garden – so expect even greater things next year!

Best Patio: Antosh Samek & Aaron Chandiram, Clayton’s Marlow. The ‘sun trap’ space behind the town centre bar has been transformed by creative planting, mixing climbing shrubs with trees and colourful flowers in containers. Adding to the appeal of the space is the Mount Gay Rum Shack, installed earlier this year to serve mojitos and other rum cocktails to Marlow’s drinkers. £500 goes to Aaron & Antos

Brakspear chief executive Tom Davies said, “It was a pleasure to judge this competition. Our licensees clearly have a great talent for making the most of their outdoor space, whether it be a large pub garden or a small patio. Both Clayton’s Marlow and the Chequers are worthy winners and we’re delighted to recognise their al fresco achievements.”

Six runners up also received a framed certificate and an external banner to mark their achievement:

Dick & Judith Holland: Jolly Brickmakers, Redhill
Doug & Lolly Green: Little Angel, Henley;
Graham Chandler: Rainbow, Henley
Justin Winstanley: Shears, Marlborough
Greg Allen: Eastbrook, Dagenham
Hattie Gutzman: Hope & Anchor, Wokingham

Caption to images (right): top: the garden at the Chequers, Fingest; middle (l-r) Aaron Chandiram & Antosh Samek, Clayton’s Marlow; bottom: the Little Angel