“We're so elated to be recognised by our local community.”

This is what the owners of the Newton Pippin pub said after being presented with Business of the Year at this year’s Pride of Bracknell Awards.

On Friday, April 19, Simon and Vicki Powell were invited to the event at the Sandhurst Military Academy alongside representatives from Honda as one of the nominees for the category of Business of the Year.

The Newton Pippin pub has risen from a struggling and dilapidated pub in 2021 to somewhere that offers a warm atmosphere and a host of community and charity events for local residents.

The pub has gone from strength to strength, recently winning the CAMRA Pub of the Year for its customer service and the quality of its local ale.

At the awards ceremony, Vicki and Simon Powell spoke to the News after being presented with their awards by Gary Short from Shorts, who were sponsoring the award.

Simon said: “We feel elated. Just to be nominated is amazing and incredible. We didn’t even know that Pride of Bracknell Forest was a thing and now we are here, and against Honda as well.”

Vicki added: “It’s a really lovely event and it’s just unreal. To be recognised is just astounding. We underestimate what we do because we’re in it day to day so we don’t see it like everyone else does.

“I was speaking to a lady earlier and she was saying, ‘what you have done for the community is amazing’. For us it’s hard to see it and believe it when we’re working so when we get talking to people it’s lovely.

"It’s the best thing when you live in a community and they say that.”