A COUPLE who relaunched a village pub which had been closed for 18 months are celebrating after the venue was named the best in Yorkshire.

Liz and Paul Jackson, who opened The Crown Inn, in Great Ouseburn, near Boroughbridge, in December 2009, overcame competition from more than 90 venues to win the title at the White Rose Awards, organised by tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire.

Mrs Jackson said: “We were totally overwhelmed, to learn that we had won the award. We have a fantastic team and their dedication, passion for quality and customer service, together with their determination to be the best, has proved to be a recipe for success.”

The Black Swan, at Oldstead, near Thirsk followed up joining the Michelin star restaurant elite last week by being named Yorkshire’s best restaurant at the ceremony.

North Yorkshire hotels fared well at the event with Rudding Park, near Harrogate, winning the Large Hotel title, Swinton Park, near Masham, scooping the Small Hotel category, while the Crown Spa, in Scarborough, took the Sustainable Tourism award.

Fodder food store in Harrogate took the Taste of Yorkshire Award, Newby Hall, near Ripon landed the Large Visitor Attraction accolade and Robin Hood Caravan Park, in Slingsby, near York, took the Customer Service title.

Winners from this year's White Rose awards will go through to the national Visit England Awards for Excellence in 2012.