Bury pub The Black Bull took a regional awards ceremony by the horns!

It is celebrating being crowned as North West winner for Best Partnership Pub at the Great British Pub Awards.

This is the second year in succession licensees Chris and Christine McClung, who have run the Lowercroft Road pub for two and a half years, have won a regional award after scooping the North West Best Cellar award in 2012.

The Black Bull, which is owned by northern brewer Thwaites, beat hundreds of entries to take the regional award but was beaten to the national title by a rival pub from Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

It is also the second award won by the husband and wife team this year, after they triumphed at the Thwaites Awards for Excellence in the Best Pint category.

The Best Pub Partnership award recognises the licensee who has been the best exponent of the leased, tenanted or franchised model during the past 12 months.

Mr McClung said: “We have a great relationship with Thwaites and they have been very supportive since we took on the pub in March, 2012.

"To have won a regional award of this calibre in two separate categories for the second year is very rewarding and satisfying recognition of all the hard work and commitment from our fantastic team.

"Thwaites worked very closely with us during our refurbishment to ensure that the pub was designed to meet our exact requirements, and demonstrated great faith and support both financially and with day to day planning and implementation.

“We think our ongoing success is attributable to this strong and very positive working partnership we have with Thwaites coupled with the fact that the team here is running a great pub. “

Andrew Buchanan, director of pub operations at Thwaites added: “This really is a team award. To see Chris, Christine and the whole team recognised by the Great British Pub Awards again is a great achievement.“