THEY say good things come in threes – and that is certainly true for one award-winning Romsey pub.

The Old House at Home is celebrating after winning Best Town or Local Pub category in brewer Fuller’s annual Pub of the Year contest.

This is the third time that the pub, in Love Lane, run by licensees Sarah and Michael Edom, has collected such an award in the last six years.

Fuller’s chairman, Michael Turner, presented the awards at the company’s Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, London, on November 6.

Sarah said they had built up trade during the last 10 years since taking over, have redone the garden area, now run an all day menu and give the pub a new coat of paint inside and out every year.

“We’re so proud,” she said, adding they were always looking for ways to improve.

“We go the extra mile for our customers and provide the best service we can.”

Sarah, 43, was the first woman to go on Fuller’s official training scheme to become a licensee and ran her first pub aged 21.

Having been landlady at a pub in Teddington, Middlesex, where she won the overall Fuller’s Griffin Trophy for the first time in 1996, she eventually moved to Romsey as landlady of the Three Tuns for six years.

It was when Sarah took over at The Old House at Home that she got together with Michael, 47, who had at first been a customer - they have been running the pub together for the last seven years and live there with son Toby, 6.

On a typical day, the couple will work from around 8am to 11pm.

“It’s your vocation, it’s your life,” Sarah added.

Winchester venue The Wykeham Arms was crowned winner of the Best Hotel or Inn category while The Pointer Inn, at Newchurch, Isle of Wight won the Best Country or Village Pub contest.

Each winner received a £2,000 holiday, a plaque for the pub and an allowance for a staff celebration.