A pub which prides itself on 'food yards' rather than 'food miles' for its menus has won a place in a top guide for its beer.

The Red Lion at Brightwell-cum-Sotwell has been voted Pub of the Season (autumn) in south Oxfordshire by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) and has also gained a place in the group's 2009 Good Beer Guide.

Landlady Sue Robson said: "We are absolutely delighted to get this accolade. Our beer is recognised as just as good as our food."

Sue and her husband, Bob Deevey, with children Eleanor, Oscar and Angus, took over the pub in July last year.

As part of their bid to make it the hub of the community, they offered beer or meals to villagers who took their spare garden produce to the pub.

But the generous villagers were happy just to donate the produce.

Mrs Robson said: "They were so generous that we could talk in food yards rather than food miles for our meals."

She said they used local produce as much as possible, with meat coming from farms in the village.

As well as English favourites, like beef and vegetable stew with dumplings, and lamb hotpot, they also have regular cuisine evenings featuring Lebanese and Moroccan food and special evenings featuring starters and puddings.

The pub's monthly charity quizzes give people a chance to raise money for their particular charities and raise between £200 and £700 a night, and it hosts charity coffee mornings which regularly raise £150 for charities and good causes.

A Camra spokesman said: "It was a new venture for both — Sue was a primary schoolteacher — but they have broadened the pub's appeal to the whole community. The pub has four real ales available, which include at least one from the local Loddon, West Berkshire and Appleford breweries."