Excellent food, a welcoming environment and a good selection of real ales have earned The Inn With the Well the coveted accolade of the Gazette’s pub of the month.

The pub, in Ogbourne St George, is owned by Mike and Megan Shaw who were delighted with their success.

Mr Shaw said: “It’s nice to be nominated. My wife was very excited when she found out.”

The Shaws believe the local feel and warm welcome is what sets The Inn With the Well apart from other pubs Mrs Shaw said: “It’s very much a local pub. It’s quite a relaxed sort of place, we care and that’s what makes a difference. We’ve got a great core of local support which is wonderful.”

Mr Shaw said: “We’re still a pub instead of a restaurant, which a lot of pubs have gone to.

“We’ll have been here 22 years in July, so I think that makes a difference because it means we’re not changing every two weeks.”

In 2001, the Shaws built six rooms which are set alongside the inn.

Mr Shaw said: “We have lots of people staying here with dogs.

“It’s great walking around here with the Ridgeway and there are lots of byways.”

One of the pub’s more unusual features is the well, set in the restaurant floor, which is covered in bullet-proof glass so visitors can stand on top and peer down.

Mrs Shaw said: “Mike changed the name a few years ago. It used to be The Old Crown, and I think having The Inn With the Well at the side of the road makes people think it’s worth a stop.”

Mr Shaw runs the kitchen, producing pub lunches and specials that change every week.

He said: “Because we are a pub there are certain things that people expect – and that’s the pub menu.

“The specials change because we have quite a few guys who stay here regularly.

“They’re here three or four days a month so they need to have something different.

“I like to have some new challenges.”