The Half Moon Inn Melplash, Winners of Dorset Tourism Awards, ‘Pub of the Year’ 2020

4th February 2021The Half Moon Inn Melplash, announced as Winners in Dorset Tourism Awards category ‘Pub of the Year’ 2020. After what has been an incredibly challenging year for the hospitality industry which has seen pubs, bars, and restaurants have to close with little notice repeatedly and then reopen with some of the strongest Covid_19 compliant regulations it is wonderful to have some good news to begin 2021 with.

               Jamie Pimbley, Landlord at the Half Moon: “2020 has been a trying year but it has given us chance to strengthen our ties within our local community as they have shown us incredible support. Without their support, and a generous local donor who has asked to remain anonymous, we would have had a very different year. The Lockdown in March gave us time to design a web site which was able to process our customers’ orders to give the best service you could wish for”.

 This award means so very much to us and our team, and has made the struggles of the last year all worth while.

               Clare Pimbley, Landlady at the Half Moon: “Having only just celebrated our first ‘pub’ birthday days before we had to close for the first lockdown last March, we were very concerned for our future at The Half Moon.  2020 gave us time to spend time with our 3 sons and support them as they began their home schooling adventure.  Our second year has seen us transform our business to a pub at home format and we are so proud of our team who have worked so hard to enable this.”

Clare Bushby of headline sponsors Clockwork Marketing says: “The Dorset Tourism Awards are more vital than ever before. They provide normality during a surreal time, where everything seems weighted against hospitality. Equally as important, they give credit—where credit is more than due. Rather than despairing, entrants into this year’s awards have been remarkably inventive when faced with the impact of coronavirus. They have shown, against all the odds, that a pandemic needn’t stand in the way of excellent hospitality. This is in no small part due to their unflinching resolve and unbreakable passion for their industry.

Chair of the Judging Panel Professor Peter Jones adds his congratulations: “Dorset tourism, like tourism the world over, is demonstrating resilience and fortitude in coping with the impact and implications of Covid-19 in some amazing ways. This year’s entries into the Dorset Tourism Awards are no exception. Entrants demonstrated creativity and innovation, passion for the industry, and enthusiasm in providing a great experience for their customers in the most difficult of circumstances.

“To have been shortlisted for Pub of the Year was amazing, to win the Gold award is just beyond what we could have hoped for. We will proudly be displaying our award in the pub to show off to our regulars when the restrictions lift and they can be welcomed back into the pub”

Jamie & Clare Pimbley.