A city hostelry has won a community pub of the year award.

The James Street Tavern in east Oxford has won the Entertainment Pub of the Year award at Greene King's nationally recognised Night of Excellence Awards.

The pub won the award in recognition of its varied but consistent entertainment offer, which ranges from live music on the weekends to a monthly film club.

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The James Street Tavern’s eclectic entertainment includes free stand-up comedy, a board game club, open mic nights and regular art classes.

Alongside its entertainment and regular gigs, the pub also serves popular brunches on the weekend and pie and mash food all week, alongside CAMRA-recommended ales, wines and spirits.

Oxford Mail: The James Street Tavern

The pub is especially popular in the summer because of its beer garden

The Night of Excellence Awards celebrate the success of great licensees and the businesses they run in partnership with Greene King Pub Partners.

They comprise of 14 awards ranging from Community Pub of the Year to Entertainment Pub of the Year, which are all sponsored by key suppliers to the pub sector and well-known brands such as Molson Coors, Coca-Cola and Bacardi.

This year, the awards were held at a ceremony and dinner hosted at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire.

The  event was attended by over 140 licensees from across the country who work with Greene King Pub Partners as well as representatives from the hospitality and pub sector including trade bodies, business leaders and more. 

Josh Mullett, Licensee of The James Street Tavern, said: “It means so much to have won Entertainment Pub of the Year at the Night of Excellence Awards. We pride ourselves on the brilliant and diverse entertainment we provide and see ourselves as a cultural hub of a pub – so winning this award is truly special for us.

"I would like to say thank you to our wonderful team, customers and entertainment partners!”

Wayne Farrell, Business Development Manager for Greene King Pub Partners, said:  “Well done to the team at The James Street Tavern for winning Entertainment Pub of the Year!

"From stand-up comedy clubs to art classes and of course, live music – this pub has something for everyone! The James Street Tavern is a worthy winner of this outstanding award.”

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About the author 

Andy is the Trade and Tourism reporter for the Oxford Mail and you can sign up to his newsletters for free here. 

He joined the team more than 20 years ago and he covers community news across Oxfordshire.

His Trade and Tourism newsletter is released every Saturday morning. 

You can also read his weekly Traffic and Transport newsletter.