Running their first pub for 16 months hasn’t stopped a couple from beating a long-established winner to become Pub of the Year.

Joe Hanrahan and Shannon Boyle earned the honours for the New Inn in the 2017 Pub of the Year awards from Colchester and North Essex CAMRA.

It meant that finally, after five successful years, the popular town centre Victoria Inn, lost its coveted crown.

CAMRA chairman Alan Wareham said of the New Inn: “They’ve done a fantastic job over the year. They have made some innovations, such as accepting the £20 of Wetherspoon vouchers you get on joining CAMRA.”

Alan stressed awarding the title to the popular pub, which is highly praised on TripAdvisor, was one made by his 1,400 branch membership.

The New Inn, in Chapel Street South, also won the pub of the year in the Town Pub category.

Runner-up was the Victoria Inn, a 17th century inn on North Station Road.

Third place went to The Ale House on Butt Road.

Rural pub of the year went to the Black Buoy in Wivenhoe.

Alan said: “It’s a community-owned pub at the heart of the community. The members enjoy going there. It has a range of both great food and real males, with beer festivals annually. This has won three years on the trot. It’s a very good pub.”

The Runner-up was Ye Olde Albion in Rowhedge, a “fantastic free house,” with The Alma in Cophouse coming third.

The Cider Pub of the Year category was won by The Odd One Out on Mersea Road, Colchester, with the Victoria Inn again as runner up, and the British Grenadier in Military Road, Colchester, coming third.

Alan added: “We have a great range of real ale pubs in Colchester, we are so lucky.”

Joe Hanrahan, who runs the New Inn, with partner Shannon Boyle, was “overjoyed” at their victory.

Joe, a former producer of TV commercials, said: “This is our first pub but I grew up in a pub. Our family has other pubs including The Rosebud in Brightlingsea.”

“We take a keen interest in real ales, which we are both enthusiastic about. People might have called it a back street pub before we took over, but it’s definitely a community pub now.

“We have started serving Sunday lunches, including a vegan nut loaf designed by a local chef, which has taken off. We have lots of families in on a Sunday.”

There are also regular beer festivals.

Shane Diggens, manager of the Black Buoy on Black Buoy Hill, said this was the third year running that the community-owned pub had won Rural Pub of the Year.

He added: “I think we have won due to our community support. It’s owned by the community. It’s our food, the ale, everything is fresh; it’s all reasonably priced.” Another TripAdvisor favourite, the Black Buoy also plans a beer festival, from April 28 to May 1.