THE Buthay Inn in Wickwar is hoping its promise of “quality through passion” will bring success in the Gazette’s Pub of the Year competition.

“Our aim is to promote good food and good drink in a welcoming atmosphere,” said landlord AJ Simsek, who took over the pub three-and-a-half years ago.

“We strive for The Buthay to be somewhere our guests are comfortable – where they can be confident in receiving first class service.”

AJ admitted that the pub had a poor reputation when he first took it over, and that it was essentially a task of building from the ground up to get to where they are now.

“A good pub and restaurant can be the heart of the community, and this is the kind of reputation I would like to think we have built,” he said.

“Our motto of quality through passion is important to us, and I believe it resonates in the service we offer.”

As one of the longest standing buildings in Wickwar, at just over 400 years old, The Buthay has been a public house since it first opened and has claimed a place in every Good Beer Guide since reopening under AJ’s tenure.

The restaurant, which was added 17 years ago, is now one of the main focuses of the business and offers a traditional Italian theme, with a range of dishes made by Chef Roberto Martini, who joined the team two years ago.

“Roberto was an ideal addition to The Buthay, he is so knowledgeable and experienced, and produces the most phenomenal dishes that really speak for themselves,” said AJ.

“Between us we have a similar vision for food, and a food-led business. “But while we focus on food, it is also important to us to keep things different.

“We put on a lot of themed evenings for our guests, including this weekend’s cocktail night.”

In recent months, the pub has also introduced a new service, with rooms now being made available for guests to stay the night.

“It is a great place for people coming to Wickwar and the surrounding area to stop, whether you are visiting family or on business.” said AJ.

After the success of last year’s inaugural Pub of the Year competition, the contest is back for 2016.

This year there will be one winner for the Dursley, Cam, Wotton-under-Edge and Berkeley region, one for the Thornbury patch, and one for the Yate and Chipping Sodbury area.

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’ being deployed to win.

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

Over the next few weeks we will be profiling some of the pubs that have been put forward for the award to help our readers choose their favourite.

Gazette editor Michael Purton said: “We came up with the Pub of the Year award because there are some brilliant pubs in the area and we want to highlight their hard work and high standards.

“In this era of cheap booze in supermarkets and developers eyeing up pubs to try to turn them into housing, it’s important we all do whatever we can to support our watering holes, because they are far more than just places to eat and drink – they are community centres at the heart of the local area.”

Use the voting slip in this week's paper to name your favourite pub and tell us why they deserve the award. Post your nomination to Gazette Pub of the Year, Gazette, 6 Lansdown, Stroud, GL5 1BE. Only slips cut from the paper will be counted – photocopies will not be accepted.