THE owners of a pub near Chipping Campden said they are "over the moon" after celebrating the same award at both of their pubs.

Claire and Jim Alexander, who run The Ebrington Arms, in Ebrington, and Killingworth Castle, in Wootton, near Woodstock, were awarded the Runner-up prize in their respective CAMRA Pub of the Year awards.

The Ebrington Arms - known affectionately as The Yubby by locals - was awarded North Cotswolds CAMRA Pub of the Year joint runner-up with Horse & Groom, Upper Oddington, missing out to the winner, The Plough Inn, Cold Aston.

And across the county boarder, their pubThe Killingworth Castle was awarded the North Oxon CAMRA Pub of the Year Runner-up, a first for the pub.

Since the couple took over the Yubby eight years ago, it has now been the Pub of the Year Winner three times, runner-up three times and once third place and have been included at the top three pubs in the area for 7 years in a row.

Mrs Alexander said: “We’re really proud of the CAMRA awards because they show consistency in what we do.

"To be able to do it at our second pub so soon is overwhelming but not without a lot of hard work in turning it around thanks to the great team we've got.

"CAMRA recently announced 28 UK pubs close a week so it’s rewarding to be here and be appreciated.”

The couple said they were delighted to receive the accolade for The Killingworth Castle so early into their custodianship as the couple only reopened the pub in December 2012 after a years closure.

Mr Alexander added: “It’s an honour to be appreciated by the real ale community in Oxfordshire so quickly and great we can put the learnings from our first pub into another lovely community that have been really supportive.”

In 2013 the couple started brewing their own beer recipes, “cuckoo brewing” at the North Cotswolds Brewery and now have three real ales, Yubby Bitter, YPA (Yubby Pale Ale) and Yawnie.

And to celebrate real ale, The Ebrington Arms also holds an annual beer festival,YubbyFest, on October 6 to 12 October.

The couple also hope to renovate the stable block of The Killingworth Castle this year into eight letting bedrooms and attract more tourists to stay in the area.