Spalding pub The Punch Bowl has scooped £1,500 after being voted top in a field of 14 finalists for Enterprise Inns’ 2016 Pubs in Bloom competition for East Anglia.
After winning £500 for being a regional winner, the New Road pub bagged an extra £1,000 as divisional champion. Judges were impressed with the pub’s colourful and unique flower displays including inside a golf bag, Victorian toilet system, lobster nets and on an overturned World War II bomb shell.
Landlord Pete Williams said: “We have a lot of people come into the pub because of our interesting flower displays, including visitors to East Midlands in Bloom, where we also bagged a gold medal for best garden this year.
“It’s a very gradual process, the easy part is planting the bulbs, the hard part is watering which my wife takes charge of, spending three hours, three times a week executing.
“This generous prize from Enterprise puts us in a position to be able to create different displays all year round.”
“It’s been a fun and rewarding experience.”
Martin Obey, Enterprise regional manager East Anglia, said: “The Punch Bowl display was absolutely stunning, particularly its splendid rear garden, complete with some exceptionally eccentric props.
“It has deservedly won this year’s divisional prize for East Anglia. I know Peter and his wife put a lot of effort into their display, and their time and hard work has been rewarded.”
