IT'S been a fabulous time for The Castle Inn in Skipton - hot on the heels of being named Yorkshire's Top Pub in the Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose awards, it has now received another accolade.

This time, the Mill Bridge pub's 25 members of staff have been named top in the country in a national competition run by Heineken-owned Star Pubs and Bars.

Delighted landlord Calvin Dow, who is also a Skipton town councillor, travelled to London to receive the award at a glittering ceremony from football legend and broadcaster Chris Kamara.

"This is a fantastic acknowledgement of my bar staff," said Calvin.

"The Castle wouldn't be the Castle without them - they do whatever it takes to get the job done, come in early, leave late, pitch in with whatever needs doing and always with smiles on their faces."

It was the icing on the cake following being named best pub in Yorkshire by the body behind bringing the Tour de France to Yorkshire, and through Skipton.

"The day the Tour de France came through Skipton was the proudest day of my life," added Calvin.

"The team worked from 6am to midnight, refusing to take a break or go home because they all wanted to stick together as a team.”

The competition judges were won over by the “excellent” service at the Castle, how everyone worked together as a team to deliver speedy, attentive service, while providing a fun environment, finding time to chat and make customers smile even when the pub was busy.

They were also impressed by how staff were always willing to go the extra mile for their customers and colleagues from taking lost tourists to places they wanted to visit in Skipton to volunteering for extra shifts to cover other team members and helping each out to get the job done.

Even the chef was happy to pull a pint for the customers, if the bar staff were busy, noted the judges.

Calvin took on the pub four years ago when he was 23 years old and when it was a drinking only pub. He started by inviting people to come in with their own food, but providing a washing-up service, before expanding to basic pub meals, from his own upstairs kitchen.

The pub now has its own commercial, fully operating kitchen and two chefs to cater for eating customers.

Its traditional pub food menu includes its signature dish - King Henry Pork Chop, with cannon-ball stuffing and handcut chips, and Castle Tower Burger. There is also roast beef, fish and chips and bangers and mash. Puddings include traditional jam roly-poly, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate brownies. There is also an extensive vegetarian menu, and an impressive list of ales.