The Crown Inn pub in Alva has been named Community Pub of the Year following a nationwide competition.

The local, based on Stirling Street, was given the title at the Scottish Licensed Trade News (SLTN) Awards earlier this month.

It was hailed for its ability to nurture a community-based clientele while working to strengthen local links and give back to the wider area.

Landlord Stephen Polley (48) believes the award was based on their ‘common-sense approach’ to maintaining a safe and meaningful focal point within the community.

He said: “We don’t even know who nominated us, I just came back from holiday and Michael told me he got a phone call from the SLTN telling us that we were in the running for Community Pub of the Year and we were down to the last 125.

“Then we got a letter saying we were down to the last 10 and judges were coming out to have a look.

“They basically asked us about our role in the wider community, not just how the pub is on its own.

“We really weren’t expecting the win and it was such a great feeling.

“People kept coming up to us on the night to ask what our secret is. But there is no secret, we just take a common-sense approach.” Stephen’s son Michael (23), manager of the Crown Inn, said: “The SLTN wanted to know how we get the guys in the pub involved in the community and what we, as a pub, do for the community.

“Fundraising has been a big part of that and we’ve held a lot of race nights, charity nights and things like that and we have raised thousands.

“We have a wide range of clientele, aged from 18 to 70 plus and they all mix well together and there is never any real trouble.

“We also have a big waiting list for the social club and we have a ladies’ only social club – the only female social club in the county.” The Crown Inn currently employs nine people, with two full-time members of staff.

It is a distinctly family affair with Stephen, his sons Michael, Grant and Kevin, and wife Tracey all pulling shifts to keep the place running.

The family only came into the trade four years ago, with no prior experience except a vision to create a truly friendly pub in the town.

Stephen said: “We’ve tried to create a pub here with the kind of atmosphere we would enjoy – a pub where would want to go to.

“Another thing we try to do is to engage with the customers. Especially with some of the older fellas, they’re not necessarily here for a pint, they’re here for the chat and the company.

“So they’ll sometimes come in and sit with a wee Coke but we’ll sit and play dominoes with them and chat about the football and things like. Pubs like this are more than a place to drink.

“We don’t do things by half,” Michael added. “We’ve got the best pool table we could get, the best beer as well. We don’t cut corners and I think that’s something the punters appreciate.

“From the get-go we never took any rubbish and I think we’ve reaped the rewards for that now.

“We have great customers and great customers make a great pub.”