Farmers aiming to help Seafood Pub win national award

The Farmers Arms in Great Eccleston is preparing to be judged by a panel of critics after its parent company was shortlisted for a prestigious hospitality award.

Owner of the Farmers Arms and the Seafood Pub Company, Joycelyn Neve was born and brought up in Blackpool. She will be bringing a judging panel from The Publican Awards to her home territory in Great Eccleston in the New Year to show them why the Seafood Pub Company deserves to win the Best Food Offer 2 – 50 sites award.  

“It is a huge achievement for us to be recognised alongside four of the UK’s leading gastropubs,” said Joycelyn. “The Seafood Pub Company prides itself on serving the best quality ingredients in a relaxed and accessible way and this is something which we are looking forward to showing the judges when they visit us at the Farmers Arms and two of our other sites.

“From the finest seafood caught off the Fylde coast to the best produce from local farms, we are passionate about serving our customers an ever changing menu of special dishes which are suitable for everyday dining or a special occasion.”

Joycelyn is the daughter of Jane and Chris Neve who live in Thornton. Chris worked as a fisherman and fish merchant in Fleetwood for 40 years, growing his business from buying and selling at Fleetwood fish auction into a wholesale door-to-door delivery service. Today he is responsible for sourcing the fish used by the Seafood Pub Company’s six sites across Lancashire.

Joycelyn added: “This award nomination is testament to the hard work our chefs and front of house staff put in to providing each and every one of our customers with something special and we are really excited about meeting the judges to show them what we are all about.”

The Seafood Pub Company recently won Restaurant magazine’s R200 Pub Company of the Year Award and will find out on March 16th 2015 if it has won the Publican Award.

PHOTO: Joycelyn and Chris Neve at the Farmers Arms

ENDS

For further information please contact Claire Brannon on 07443 653319

Notes to editors

About the Seafood Pub Company

Joycelyn Neve formed the Seafood Pub Company in 2011 with The Oyster & Otter in Blackburn. The following year Joycelyn took the lease of The Assheton Arms in the Pendle conservation village of Downham – which has become a multi-award-winning flagship pub.

Last year the company branched north to the Fenwick at Claughton, near Lancaster, on the edge of the Forest of Bowland, and west to open the Farmers Arms at Great Eccleston on the Fylde.
In 2014, The Derby Arms in Longridge, on the outskirts of the Forest of Bowland opened. In October 2014, the Barley Mow, four miles from the Assheton Arms, became the first site to adopt slightly different characteristics as a country pub that does food, rather than a destination gastro pub; a new identity that will be developed within the future growth of the Seafood Pub Company portfolio