A COUPLE who have run a Yorkshire Dales inn for more than 20 years have been rewarded for their hard efforts with a prestigious industry award.

Paul and Helen Klein, from the Blue Lion in East Witton, North Yorkshire, beat off competition from hundreds of potential rivals to be named Inn of the Year by the Good Pub Guide 2014.

Mr Klein said: “We’re delighted to win this award.

“It reflects the fact that the Blue Lion Inn provides a fantastic opportunity to enjoy country food and real ales within the iconic scenery of Wensleydale.”

Fiona Stapley, joint editor of the guide, said: “Once again we’ve had nothing but praise from our many readers on this first class 18th century former coaching inn. It manages to be all things to all men, interesting rooms, daily papers, real ales, delicious food and courteous service.

“Out of hundreds of competitors, a shortlist of top ten Inns was compiled and the Blue Lion Inn stood out from the rest to be deemed the crowning jewel of the UK’s Inns.”

The County, in Aycliffe Village, County Durham, has been named as dining pub of the year in the Northumbria section of the guide which covers County Durham, Northumberland and Tyneside. The pub made national headlines when then Prime Minister and Sedgefield MP Tony Blair entertained French President Jacques Chirac there in November, 2000.

Colette Farrell, who runs the pub with Stuart Dale, said: "We're absolutely thrilled to get this award.

“It's a reflection of years of hard work by all the staff.

"We're lucky to have a dedicated, conscientious and hard working team of employees who don't settle for second best, so winning this award is just desserts.”

Ms Stapley added: "The County in Aycliffe is a friendly, well run pub with four real ales, good wines and popular, interesting food."

The couple moved to The County, which now employs 28 members of staff, in January 2008.

Prior to that, they ran the Hare and Hounds, near Sedgefield, for eight years.

The Crown at Roecliffe near Boroughbridge made the top ten in the guide’s Pub of the Year category, and coming in behind the Blue Lion for Inn of the Year was the Horseshoe in Levisham, near Pickering, North Yorkshire.