COSY, not clinical, is the secret to the success of a pub says one successful landlady.

The Wyche Inn in Malvern was recently given a big vote of confidence by regulars when it won the Pub of the Year competition in 2018, run by our sister paper the Malvern Gazette.

Landlady Steph Daly said she was still in shock at the result but was thrilled to have won.

Steph, 48 and her partner of 22 years Landlord Tony Skelton, 58, have been in the industry for over a decade, having first met while working in a factory in Stafford.

The pair moved to Epsom in Surrey in 2002 to manage a pub.

Steph said: “It was a big place but it wasn’t quite right for us so we looked elsewhere. We came home and worked for Holden’s Brewery in the Black Country, they were great to work for and gave us the Rose and Crown in Brierley Hill to run back in 2005.

“We moved to Malvern in January 2010 to run the Wyche and we love it. It is such a beautiful location in the hills and it is a lovely place to call home.”

The pub industry has changed a lot in recent years and Steph says staying on top of the latest trends helps her and Tony make the Wyche a success.

She said: “People want somewhere cosy where they feel like they know the place. A lot of places can be very cold and clinical but we don’t want The Wyche to be like that. Getting to know people and people getting to know us makes it so much easier.

“Tony and I travel around a lot and whenever we’re in pubs we look at what they are doing to see what is new and what we can do differently here. The pub industry and people’s tastes have changed so much. You are always learning, no matter how experienced you are.”

The Wyche Inn received dozens more votes than the nearest competitor and Steph said: “It was such a shock to win, we didn’t expect it at all. We have had so many nice things said to us since winning and it really means a lot to us. It clearly means we’re doing something right.”