Lancaster pub shortlisted twice at Great British Pub Awards

The White Cross has been shortlisted in the Best Young Pub Chef and Stonegate Group Pub Partners Pub of the Year Award categories.

The White Cross is set within a refurbished cotton mill warehouse, which was transformed into a pub in the early 2000s and is situated next to Lancaster Canal.

The pub is a central part of the Lancaster community, and licensee Tim Tomlinson and the team provide every guest with a warm welcome.

The pub has an extensive drinks menu which features a selection of regional and local cask ales, fine wines, ciders, and soft drinks.

Ewan Lawrenson, nominated for Best Young Pub Chef, plays an important part as head chef, in supporting the kitchen at The White Cross to deliver high-quality dishes to their customers.

Ewan has been with The White Cross since he was 16, working as a kitchen porter. He has worked his way up the ladder, gaining experience in a few different restaurants, which he then returned to The White Cross as a Sous Chef and was made head chef a year ago.

The pub food has evolved into an offering of freshly cooked top-end pub food with traditional and accessible lunch offerings and a fine dining a la carte evening menu.

As well as the pub's food and drink offering, they host entertainment for all the community to get involved with.

A highlight includes a weekly quiz on Tuesday nights hosted by Tim, which has been running for the last 17 years.

Tim said: “I am honoured that The White Cross is shortlisted in two categories at this year’s Great British Pub Awards.

"I am so proud of Ewan for all his efforts and the progress that he has made in the kitchen. We are always receiving such lovely compliments about our food, and it highlights the hard work that Ewan and our kitchen team carry out every day.

“It is also amazing for the pub to be shortlisted for Stonegate’s Pub of the Year and for all the team’s hard work to receive recognition.

"The team and I put our all into the pub to make it a welcoming and relaxing environment for everyone. Everything we do at the pub and have already achieved is all because of our wonderful customers, so I would like to say a huge thank you.

"The Great British Pub Awards is such a big event for the pub industry, and it is an achievement in itself being nominated within these prestigious awards.”

The awards recognise pubs, and their teams across the country for their amazing efforts and hard work undertaken to make Britain’s pubs great for their communities.

Two rounds of judging have already taken place to choose the finalists, and further judging will commence over the summer with pub visits taking place.

The Great British Pub Awards are taking place on Tuesday October 4 at the Escape to Freight Island in Manchester.