PUB of the Year is back and once again we are once again looking for the most popular watering hole in the Stroud district.

After the success of last year’s inaugural contest in the SNJ, which saw hundreds of votes cast, the competition is now under way for 2016.

Voting is open now, so use the slip on page 17 of this week’s paper to name your favourite pub and tell us why it deserves to win.

Anyone can vote, whether a member of staff or just a loyal customer, but we will only accept slips cut out from the newspaper as votes, not photocopies, to avoid any ‘tactics’ – we know how competitive the contest can get!

This year there will be one winner for Stroud and a separate winner for the Dursley, Cam, Wotton-under-Edge and Berkeley part of the district.

This time around there will be no nominations for the finalists, just one round of voting, and whichever pub receives the most votes will be declared the winner.

The voting deadline is Friday October 28 and the winner will be announced in the newspaper on November 2.

Like last year, the prize will be a trophy and a trip to Parliament with Stroud’s MP to have a tour of the House of Commons and sell your brewery’s beer in the famous bar there, as well as bragging rights.

Stroud News and Journal:

MP for Stroud, Neil Carmichael, said: “I am delighted to once again give my support to the SNJ’s Pub of the Year competition here in Stroud.

“Breweries and pubs are an essential part of the local economy, as well as being the heart of our villages and communities, and I will continue to be a vocal advocate of our local pubs.”

Last year’s Pub of the Year competition was won by The Falcon Steakhouse in Wotton-under-Edge.

Landlord and head chef at The Falcon, Andrew Starling, told the SNJ how the award had boosted business.

“It was great to win the award last year – it definitely helped bring in plenty of new customers and it was great for business,” he said.

“It’s always fantastic to see the appreciation from the public and it’s something we’re very proud to have on our pub notice board.

“It would be great to win it again this year so I hope people get out and vote for us again.”

Over the next few weeks, until voting closes, we will be profiling some of the pubs that have been put forward for the award to help our readers choose their favourite.

SNJ editor Michael Purton said: “We came up with the Pub of the Year award because there are some brilliant pubs in the area and we want to highlight their hard work and high standards.

“In this era of cheap booze in supermarkets and developers eyeing up pubs to try to turn them into housing, it’s important we all do whatever we can to support our watering holes, because they are far more than just places to eat and drink – they are community centres at the heart of the local area.”

Last year The Falcon saw off competition from The Old Badger in Eastington, The Fleece Inn in Hillesley, The Old Spot in Dursley and The Bear Inn in Bisley.