By Stuart Rust

FIVE finalists for Pub of the Year 2015 across the Stroud district have been revealed.

The pubs that comprise our shortlist are The Falcon Steakhouse in Wotton-under-Edge, The Old Badger Inn in Eastington, The Fleece Inn in Hillesley, The Old Spot in Dursley, and The Bear Inn in Bisley.

The competition, in its first outing this year, has received a mass of support across the district, with voters in their hundreds putting forward their favourite pub.

Now, it has entered its final stage, with a winner to be decided in our October 7 edition. The Stroud News and Journal and the Gloucestershire Gazette teamed up with MP Neil Carmichael to find the best watering hole across the district.

The overall winning landlords will not only receive a trophy but also be invited to spend a day in Westminster and serve their brewery’s beer at a bar inside the Houses of Parliament.

Additional winners for each of the two newspapers will receive a trophy, bragging rights and publicity.

The announcement was followed immediately by hundreds of votes from our readers, quickly turning Pub of the Year 2015 into a hot contest.

A massive 172 nominations were received by The Falcon Steakhouse in Wotton-under-Edge, making it our most supported pub in the nominations phase.

Speaking of the competition, Mr Carmichael said: “Local pubs really matter to our communities and there are many very good pubs across the district.

“It will be a difficult task, but it is a fabulous opportunity for pubs to enter this excellent competition, which I have given my support.”

To vote for one of the pubs on our shortlist send a voting slip on page nine of this week's SNJ to Pub of the Year, Stroud News and Journal, 6 Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BE.

Please note that nomination slips already posted during the nomination period will not count as votes for the winner. You must send the new voting slip.

To help readers choose a winner, over the coming weeks each of the pubs on our shortlist will be profiled