THE licensees running a Worcester pub are drinking to success after just six months in the job.

Luke Charles-Short and Rachel-Marie East, who manage the Cap and Gown in Upper Tything, Worcester, have scooped the best new licensee award from their brewery - the Oxfordshire-based Hook Norton.

Meanwhile, two Worcestershire pubs - the Bell Inn at Eckington, near Pershore and the Vineyard, Evesham - have been shortlisted in the 2008 Shine Awards, Punch Taverns' national competition.

Mr Charles-Short and Miss East - the youngest tenants of a Hook Norton pub - went along to a special awards night in Oxfordshire, where they were thrilled to discover they had scooped one of the trophies.

Mr Charles-Short, aged 25, grew up in the trade. His mother ran the New Inn at Arley, near Bewdley, while Miss East, aged 23, worked at O'Neill's and Charleston in Worcester before taking on the Cap and Gown. Their efforts to make the pub a more popular local and create a sustainable solid business helped to make them front runners for the award.

Mr Charles-Short said: "We have completely redecorated and it is now a traditional pub with a modern feel.

"We have also tried to bring a bit of Worcester into the pub with old pictures of the city and promoting Worcester Warriors. Local football and rugby teams use the pub and there has also been an increase in sales."

The Bell Inn at Eckington has been listed among the best food experience finalists and the Vineyard at Evesham for the best community experience in the 2008 Shine Awards, Punch Taverns' national competition. Punch's operations director Kevin George explained: "More than 1000 nominations have been received from customers, employees and Punch's business relationship managers with 1086 pubs now visited by a mystery customer to assess the pub on a range of criteria."

The finalists from Evesham and Eckington have been shortlisted across four possible categories - food, drink, customer and community.

Over the next few weeks, finalists will be visited by Punch's regional operations directors and operations managers, who will be meeting with the licensees and sampling the food, drink and atmosphere at each pub. Shortlisted pubs will then attend an awards lunch on March 13 at Studley Castle, Warwickshire where four category finalists and an overall regional champion will be announced.

Mr George said: "The Shine Awards are a perfect opportunity for Punch to say thank you and reward those truly exceptional licensees who deliver fantastic customer experiences everyday.

"They are the ones that make us passionate about our pubs," he added.