Colpitts Hotel named best-run pub in the City of Durham

By Daniel Hodgson

The Colpitts Hotel pub, located in the Viaduct area of Durham, clinched the gold award for 2022 as the city’s best-run licensed premises. Colpitts beat the likes of Station House who won the silver award, whilst the Half Moon Inn and Rib N Reef restaurant shared the prize for bronze.

The City of Durham Parish Council ran the scheme to promote responsible licensed premises in the city centre. While other similar award schemes traditionally focus on the quality of the alcohol served at a premises, the criteria used for this particular scheme looked at how well the premises engage with the local community, as well as the promotion of positive community cohesion.

Another aspect of the criteria was how premises supported the City’s “Shh…11pm to 7am” campaign, which aims to deter anti-social noise and keep the city quiet for residents trying to sleep at night. Messaging to support this campaign is visible along many roads populated mainly by students.

In accepting this award, Colpitts publican Gary Peirson said: “We are delighted to have won this award and it brings us so much happiness that our community pub has been recognised in such a way”.

Chair of the Parish Council’s Licensing Committee Councilor Susan Walker said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognising these amazing businesses in this way. As a Council, we identify the pub trade as an important and growing sector in the City and we hope that this award will not only put a spotlight on best practice but will boost footfall, encourage more inclusive enjoyment of what our City has to offer and grow the City’s economy in the process”. 

She added: “The aim of this award is twofold – to bring the day time and night time economies of the City together in some way and to make the early evening and night time economies more appealing for families. It recognises those premises which go above and beyond in how they operate responsibly.

“We all know Durham – recently shortlisted for the coveted City of Culture 2025 Award – to be a phenomenal place for all to enjoy. We were blown away by the quality of the applications from our licensed premises and are delighted to present Colpitts and others with these award”.  

This was the inaugural year for the licensing awards, with the Parish Council now looking to run the competition on an annual basis.

Image: City of Durham Parish Council