Pub wins competition for most nature-friendly beer garden

The competition was set up by researchers at the University of Exeter's Cornwall campus, St Austell Brewery and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust

A pub in Cornwall has been crowned the winner of a competition set up to find the most nature-friendly beer garden.

Eighteen tenanted St Austell Brewery pubs across Cornwall were in competition for the top spot.

The owners of the St Kew Inn, near Bodmin, installed a pond and have grown a wildflower meadow to attract wildlife.

Pub landlord Mike Masters said they also avoided cutting hedges and shrubs and have removed fences to attract hedgehogs.

The measures aim to attract wildlife to the beer garden

The competition was set up by researchers at the University of Exeter's Cornwall campus, St Austell Brewery and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

The idea was to get pubs to compete against each other in creating space for nature in their pub gardens.

Mr Masters said: "We've actually put in bird boxes, hedgehog boxes, ponds, various different trees."

He said making the beer garden more nature-friendly was a "win-win for everyone".

Mike Masters said increasing and regenerating biodiversity in the beer garden was a "win-win"

He said: "If we can regenerate the biodiversity, it will effectively give our customers a better place to drink and eat their food."

Speaking about the pub being crowned winner of the competition, Mr Masters added: "We're very lucky, there's been amazing pubs that have entered it, we're lucky to come out on top."

As well as winning the title, The St Kew Inn also received a small cash prize to spend on further environmentally-friendly measures, and a barrel of beer.