A city centre pub has been voted one of the UK’s top ten outlets in an industry publication survey having already been crowned the number one pub in Punch Taverns’ internal awards.

Mr Thomas’s Chop House, owned by leading UK pub operator Punch Taverns, came ninth in the Morning Advertiser (MA) Top Pubs Survey, voted for by industry executives and pub landlords.

The triumph comes on the back of winning the grand prize in Punch’s 2004 Shine awards, open to its entire estate of over 8,000 pubs.

Roger Ward, licensee of the outlet with business partner Steve Pilling, said: “To win the Shine award was a remarkable achievement and this latest survey makes us very proud.

“With the help of Punch we have invested a great deal of time and money into Mr Thomas’s and being voted into the top ten shows how our efforts have been worthwhile.”

Mr Thomas’s Chop House is living proof of the old maxim that small is beautiful. Despite having under 1,000 square feet of licensed drinking area, in just a few years Roger and Steve have grown beer volumes from less than 200 to over 700 barrels a year.

Former advertising agency boss Roger and trained chef, Steve, whose culinary credits include having cooked for the Queen, first joined forces at Mr Thomas’s on Cross Street in 2000.

Since that time they have invested over £250,000 in partnership with Punch in improving facilities and restoring many of the Grade II listed Victorian building’s original features.

Tony Sullivan, business relationship manager at Punch, said: “Roger and Steve have combined the skills from their former jobs to award winning effect. They are a great example of how Punch’s low cost market entry can open the door to anyone thinking of a career change.”

Two other Punch Taverns outlets appeared in the top ten; the Punch Tavern in London and the Rose & Crown in Warwick.

Punch is the UK’s second largest pub operator with an estate of over 8,000 outlets.

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