The owner of a Shotley peninsula pub has admitted shocked and delighted after being recognised the best in Suffolk.

Damon Jeffery spoke of his joy after the Freston Boot was officially announced as the best venue in Suffolk by the Pub & Bar magazine.

He said: "It came as a complete surprise, but we are really chuffed."

Following 18 months of closures and restraints, and ahead of Covid-19 restrictions being eased on Monday 19 July, The Boot is one of 94 pubs across the country receiving a prestigious National Pub & Bar Award.

These awards aim to put the finest on-trade businesses across the UK in the national spotlight, showcasing just how diverse and creative the hospitality industry really is, as well as how inspirational operations have survived the pandemic.

Our award is gratefully received and goes to show the level of quality we deliver to our visitors every day of the week.

The Freston Boot will be officially crowned at a red carpet celebration in London on Monday 6 September. At the grand final, 15 Regional Winners will also be announced, as well as the esteemed accolade – the overall National Pub & Bar of the Year.

"I've never been prouder of this industry," says Tristan O'Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine, which hosts the event. "The entries for this year's awards demonstrated the undeniable value that communities place on their beloved pubs and bars.

"To be able to acknowledge the hard work and diligence of venues across 94 UK counties is an absolute privilege. These outstanding venues deserve this recognition now more than ever."

Full list of the UK's county winners:

East Midlands

Derbyshire - The Cock Inn

Leicestershire - Round Corner Brewing Taproom

Northamptonshire - The Tollemache Arms

Nottinghamshire - The Radcliffe

Rutland - The Admiral Hornblower

East of England

Essex - Galvin Green Man

Bedfordshire - The Black Lion

Cambridgeshire - The Royal Oak, Hail Weston

Hertfordshire - Fox & Hounds, Hunsdon

Norfolk - The Kings Head, Letheringsett

Suffolk - The Freston Boot

London

City of London - Puttshack

Greater London - The Gun, Spitalfields

North East

Durham - Grannie Annie's Pub and Pantry

Northumberland - The Craster Arms

Tyne and Wear - Leila Lily's

North West

Cheshire - The Church Inn, Mobberley

Cumbria - Woolpack Inn, Eskdale

Greater Manchester - Roxy Ball Room, Deansgate

Lancashire - The Jazz Emporium

Merseyside - The Club House

Northern Ireland

Antrim - The Poet

Armagh - Courthouse Bar

Down - The Maghera Inn

Fermanagh - Granny Annies

Derry / Londonderry - Walled City Brewery

Tyrone - Tomney's Bar

North West Scotland

Highland - The Plockton Hotel

Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) - The Cross Inn

North East Scotland

Fife - The Criterion

Aberdeenshire - DogTap

City of Aberdeen - The Tippling House

City of Dundee - Tom's

Perth and Kinross - The Meikleour Arms

Angus - The Drovers Inn

Moray - The Crown & Anchor Inn

Clackmannanshire - The Old Brewery

Shetland Islands - Fjara Cafe Bar

Orkney Islands - The Ferry Inn

South East Scotland

City of Edinburgh - No.1 The Grange

West Lothian - The Livingston Inn

Falkirk - Sportsters

Scottish Borders - The Craw Inn

East Lothian - The Bonnie Badger

Midlothian - The Sun Inn

South West Scotland

City of Glasgow - Drygate Peaks Bar & Terrace

North Lanarkshire - The Electric Bar

South Lanarkshire - The Old Oak Inn

Renfrewshire - The Boarding House

Dumfries and Galloway - The Steamboat Inn

North Ayrshire - The Corner House

East Ayrshire - Weston Tavern & Restaurant

South Ayrshire - The Tam O'Shanter Inn

East Dunbartonshire - The Burnbrae Pub & Restaurant

Argyll and Bute - The Whistlefield Inn

East Renfrewshire - The Orchard Park Hotel, Bar and Grill

West Dunbartonshire - The Balloch House Hotel

Stirling - Allanwater Brewhouse

Inverclyde - Nicolson's Bar & Kitchen

South East

Berkshire - Crown & Garter

Buckinghamshire - Clayton's Marlow

East Sussex - The Bull, Ditchling

Hampshire - The Portsmouth Arms

Isle of Wight - The Spyglass Inn

Kent - The Rose & Crown, Green Street Green

West Sussex - Crown & Anchor

Oxfordshire - The Hollybush, Witney

Surrey - The Wiremill Lakeside Pub & Inn

South West

Bristol - The Strawberry Thief

Cornwall - The Rising Sun, Truro

Devon - The Pigs Nose Inn

Dorset - The Old Granary

Gloucestershire - The Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach

Somerset - Ring O Bells, Nailsea

Wiltshire - The Hatchet Inn

Wales

Gwent - The Anchor Inn, Tintern

South Glamorgan - Hare & Hounds

Mid Glamorgan - The Old House 1147

West Glamorgan - Britannia Inn

Dyfed - The Griffin

Powys - The Harp Inn

Gwynedd - T Coch Inn

Clwyd - Three Eagles

West Midlands

Herefordshire - The Riverside at Aymestrey

Shropshire - The Boathouse

Staffordshire - The Red Lion, Newborough

Warwickshire - The Cross at Kenilworth

West Midlands - Attic Brew Co. Taproom

Worcestershire - The Flyford

Yorkshire and the Humber

East Riding of Yorkshire - The Black Horse, Little Weighton

North Yorkshire - The Carpenters Arms

South Yorkshire - The Botanist

West Yorkshire - The Shibden Mill Inn

Lincolnshire - The Hope and Anchor