A pub in Wallingford has won a Community Pub of the Year award at an awards night.

The Dolphin in St Mary's Street is known for its combination of real ale and home-cooked meals, served up alongside a regular programme of entertainment including live music, discos and more.

At the awards night for pub company Greene King, judges commended The Dolphin for its involvement in the local community.

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In particular, The Dolphin - sometimes known as 'The Dolly' - was praised for its support of local charities.

The pub recently hosted an Easter egg hunt during the Easter bank holiday, providing free meals for children all weekend as well.

A family-run business for over 20 years, The Dolphin is operated by husband and wife team, Brian and Jacqui, along with their daughter Emma.

The Night of Excellence Awards celebrate the success of licensees and the businesses they run in partnership with Greene King Pub Partners.

Herald Series: Staff at The Dolphin celebrate the awardThey feature 14 awards ranging from Community Pub of the Year to Entertainment Pub of the Year, which are all sponsored by key suppliers to the pub sector and well-known brands such as Molson Coors, Coca-Cola and Bacardi.

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This year the awards were held at a grand ceremony and dinner hosted at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Stratford-Upon-Avon in nearby south Warwickshire, for the second year running.

The event was attended by over 140 licensees from across the country who work with Greene King Pub Partners as well as representatives from the hospitality and pub sector including trade bodies, business leaders and more. 

Emma Cox, licensee of The Dolphin, said: "We are immensely proud to have won Community Pub of the Year at the Night of Excellence Awards.

"As a family-run pub at the heart of community life in Wallingford for over 20 years, words cannot describe what this award means to us.

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"Thank you to all our wonderful team members and customers whom we’d like to dedicate this award to!”

Wayne Farrell, business development manager for Greene King Pub Partners, said:  "Congratulations to Brian, Jacqui, Emma, and the team at The Dolphin for winning Community Pub of the Year.

"The Night of Excellence Awards are fierce competition – there were over 250 entrants from across the UK – so winning this award is truly special. But The Dolphin is a truly special pub and I cannot think of a more worthy winner for this award.”

Greene King is the country’s leading pub company and brewer with 2,600 pubs, restaurants and hotels across England, Wales and Scotland.

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

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