WITH votes streaming in for our Pub of the Year competition, the Standard is profiling some of the watering holes put forward for the award.

After the success of last year’s inaugural Pub of the Year contest, with hundreds of votes cast, the competition is now under way for 2016.

Voting is open, so use the slip on this page to name your favourite pub and tell us why they deserve the award.

Anyone can vote, whether a member of staff or just a loyal customer, but we will only accept slips cut out from the newspaper as votes, not photocopies, to avoid any ‘tactics’ – we know how competitive the contest can get!

This week we are featuring The Fox Inn in Great Barrington, which is in the running for the prize.

We spoke to Paul Porter, landlord of the Donnington Brewery pub, who has been working for the business since 1993.

When asked what made the pub stand out to its customers, Paul replied: “Atmosphere.

“When people walk through the door, they look right and left and they go, ‘it’s a pub.’ “It’s a comfort factor. It’s like putting on your favourite cardigan. We have atmosphere and you can’t buy that.”

The Fox Inn, housed in a 17th century building, specialises in all things traditional, from its decor to its food and drink.

Paul said: “We do things like liver and bacon and Gloucestershire pie. We do a lot of pies, old fashioned trifles, bread and butter pudding, stuffed lamb tarts etc. We also do evening specials, which features the best of the local province.

“As a Donnington Brewery pub, we stock their three ales. We have beers for every palette palate and we try to keep it as local as we can.”

The pub, set next to the River Windrush, features a riverside patio and seven letting rooms.

“Water and sunshine and the pub is the perfect combination,” Paul said.

Ever since Paul was 18, he had just one dream, and that was to go to the pub 365 days of the year.

He said: “Because I couldn’t afford to be at a pub every day, I got a job in one. I’ve always had a pub job as I enjoyed pub life so much.

“It’s a social centre, where you chat and talk to people.”

There will be one winner for the Cotswolds and one for North Wiltshire in the Pub of the Year competition.

The voting deadline is Friday, October 28 and the winners will be announced in the newspaper on November 3.

Like last year, the prize will be a trophy and a trip to Parliament with your MP to have a tour of the House of Commons and sell your brewery’s beer in the famous bar there – as well as the bragging rights from winning.

Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: “I’m delighted that the Standard is continuing the Pub of the Year competition. Last year’s competition had a serious objective and a lighter-hearted one.

“On the serious side, it promoted some really outstanding pubs in the Cotswolds area, some of which serve excellent food.

“On the lighter-hearted side, it promoted good-natured competition among the customers of the various pubs to promote their favourite pub.”

North Wiltshire MP James Gray said: “One of the many joys of representing a constituency like North Wiltshire is the sheer variety and number of wonderful pubs.

“Villages that lose their pubs lose something of their soul, and town pubs provide a place to gather which is otherwise missing in modern life. Pubs are a uniquely British phenomenon and one of the many things we should celebrate and support in our great nation.”

Last year’s competition was won by The Royal Oak in Tetbury, and joint-owner Kate Lewis said: “Winning the Pub of the Year award has been a fantastic experience for our team and the community who voted for us.”

Standard editor Michael Purton said the competition was designed to highlight all the fantastic pubs in the Cotswolds and North Wiltshire.

To vote, fill in the form on this page and send it to: Pub of the Year, Wilts & Glos Standard, 74 Dyer Street, Cirencester, GL7 2PW.

We will not accept photocopies, only slips cut out from the newspaper.