The Honey Bee on Trenchard Street won Marston's Pub of the Year at the Great British Pub Awards after a £319,000 refit, with £3,350 raised for charity.

The Honey Bee on Trenchard Street has been named Marston’s Pub of the Year at the Great British Pub Awards.

Marston’s, which runs more than 1,300 pubs across the UK, says the judges picked out the pub’s warm hospitality, its charity work, its local connections and a consistently good experience for the people who come through the door.

The award comes 17 months after Marston’s spent £319,000 refitting the pub in April 2025. The photographs Marston’s sent from the night, by Carl Sukonik, are labelled as taken at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on 23 September.

A member of The Honey Bee team holds the glass award on stage while being interviewed with a microphone, a younger team member beside him
The award is presented on stage at the Great British Pub Awards. Photo: Carl Sukonik (thevain.co.uk), supplied by Marston's

What the manager said

Gavin Crisell, the general manager, credits the refit for the start and the staff for everything since.

“We’re absolutely delighted to receive this award,” he said. “The investment gave us the foundations to create something really special, but it’s the team who have brought it to life every day since.

“We wanted The Honey Bee to be a pub that genuinely has something for everyone, whether that’s families enjoying a meal together, friends meeting for drinks, people taking part in our events, or local groups looking for a welcoming place to come together. To be recognised on a national stage for that is incredibly rewarding and a real testament to the hard work, passion and dedication of the whole team.”

Two people embrace in the audience at the Great British Pub Awards as the table around them applauds
Celebrating in the audience on the night. Photo: Carl Sukonik (thevain.co.uk), supplied by Marston's

Two pubs under one roof

The £319,000 refit turned The Honey Bee into what Marston’s calls its Two Door format: two separate spaces in the same building. One side is a bar aimed at regulars and people watching sport; the other is a family lounge.

Since it reopened, the pub has built up a programme of charity quizzes, bingo nights, live music, themed nights and family events, and it shows major sports fixtures through the year.

The Honey Bee pub from outside on a sunny day, a dark red gable with the pub's name beside a white gable reading Fairford Leys, with parasols and picnic benches out front
The Honey Bee from outside, with the Fairford Leys name on its gable. Photo: supplied by Marston's
The lounge at The Honey Bee: round wooden tables, green leather and patterned chairs, a fireplace with a television above it and a long buttoned banquette
The lounge at The Honey Bee after the refit. Photo: supplied by Marston's

£3,350 raised this year

The pub has raised about £3,350 so far in 2026, according to Marston’s, from quizzes, raffles, sponsored activities, community events and donations over the bar.

The money has gone to Breast Cancer UK, Comic Relief, Prostate Cancer UK, Emmett’s Genies and a number of local causes.

Neil Campbell, Marston’s chief operations officer, said: “Huge congratulations to Gavin and the team at The Honey Bee on this richly deserved recognition. They live and breathe the values that make great pubs so special, delivering outstanding hospitality while creating a place that genuinely matters to the people around it.

“At Marston’s, we talk about creating Pubs with Purpose, and The Honey Bee is a fantastic example of that in action. From supporting charitable causes and hosting community events to providing brilliant experiences for guests every day, the team has built a pub that sits at the heart of local life. We’re incredibly proud to see their efforts recognised on a national stage.”

What it means for you

If you want to see what won, The Honey Bee is on Trenchard Street. Its quiz, bingo, music and family nights are the events that fed the charity total, so they are the easiest way to take part. The pub’s details are on Marston’s pub site.

For more to do around town, see our things to do in Aylesbury page.