A borough pub has been crowned the nation's favourite for homecooked food.

The White Lion in Delph is celebrating success after battling it out with 205 other pubs across the country to win a top award. 

The annual Thwaites Hospitality Awards celebrates excellence across the company's portfolio of pubs as operators go head-to-head for a top accolade in 12 categories, from "Pub of the Year" to "Best Newcomer" and "Best Pint".

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This year, the ceremony was held at the four-star Cottons Hotel and Spa in Knutsford and saw 145 guests treated to a Spanish-themed night of entertainment, sangria and a three-course meal.

But following a rigorous judging process, which ranged from interviews to mystery pub visits, it was one of Oldham's pubs which scooped the converted title of "best pub food".

The White Lion was praised by judges for its "varied homecooked menu" and its "calendar of charitable food-themed events".

Alan Warrior, tenant at The White Lion, said: "Having attended the award ceremony for several years now, we are over the moon to win the award for 'best pub food'.

"A huge thank you to all the staff and customers - we are one proud team right now."

Andrew Buchanan, director of pubs and brewing at Daniel Thwaites, said: “We’ve always taken great pride in our pubs and the teams that are the driving force behind them, so to be able to come together and celebrate their achievements is fantastic.

“This year the calibre of entrants has been extremely high and despite facing various challenges over the past few years, all of our winners and finalists have done a tremendous job of showcasing their resilience and dedication to hospitality excellence.”

Headline sponsors for the night were Cruzcampo (Heineken UK) and Thwaites Brewery, while the awards ceremony was made possible thanks to other sponsors including Stockchek, Parkinson Signs, Coca-Cola, OT Group, D&M Creative, Diageo, Lloyds Bank, Sky, Total Food Service and Cask Marque.

If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.