Popular village pub in Louth area is crowned the best in Lincolnshire

The family-run Royal Oak Inn, better known as ‘The Splash’, set in the village of Little Cawthorpe, picked up the accolade at the National ‘Pub And Bar’ Awards for 2025.

At a glittering ceremony in London, ‘The Splash’ fought off competition from two other Lincolnshire finalists, the Red Lion Hotel in Spalding and The Strait And Narrow cocktail bar in Lincoln, to be crowned the county’s number one.

Manager Laura Grantham beamed: “I am incredibly proud to be putting The Royal Oak on the map for Lincolnshire.

"This is a busy, hard-working pub with an amazing team behind it.”

Four members of that team, headed by Laura’s dad, Jeff Jafari, who is joint head of operations, collected the award in London – alongside head chefs Karl Green and Ronnie Wolfe and restaurant supervisor Alfie Trewick.

The pub owes a lot of its success to the character and charisma of well-known veteran Jeff, 69, who has completed more than 40 years in the hospitality industry.

The accolade is also a fitting tribute to ‘The Splash’ during the 25th anniversary year of its ownership by David Grantham, who is Laura’s father-in-law, and his brother, Peter Grantham.

Run by the ‘Pub And Bar’ magazine, the awards showcase the finest venues across the country and aim to shine a light on pubs and bars at a time when so many are going to the wall.

The Royal Oak, which also hosts functions and offers accommodation, earned its nickname ‘The Splash’ because of its Watery Lane location and because when it rains, visitors often have to negotiate a large puddle to get to it!

It is well used to the spotlight after being named one of the best 100 pubs in Britain last year by the ‘Mail On Sunday’ website.

Laura added: “We are a traditional British pub through and through. We are so proud if what we’ve built and we’re grateful every day for the amazing customers who support us.

"The place is a true family affair, and that spirit extends to our incredible staff. We wouldn’t be where we are without them. They work so hard and are at the heart of everything we do.”