TODAY we launch a year-long competition to celebrate the heart and soul of our communities - the Cornish pub.

It doesn't matter if your boozer is big, small, old or new, it will fall into one of our ten monthly categories and could earn the prestigious title of Packet Pub of the Year 2019!

The first monthly winner will be for the Best Food Pub, so get your thinking caps on - where and when did you have a fantastic lunch or dinner? Voting has already started.

Each month we'll announce a new category and invite you, the readers and lovers of your local, to vote for your favourite.

There will be three weeks in which to vote - from the 20th of each month until the 10th of the following month.

The two pubs with the most nominations will receive secret visits from our judges to decide the winner – so publicans, make sure you get sharing on social media and even on the bar!

We urge you to have a good think about your pub. What it offers, what you like about it and what characteristics define it. If you like it, vote for it.

You can vote for any pub as many times as you wish throughout the course of the year, but only one vote per month please.

For example, if you're voting for the Nag's Head, each reader can vote for it a maximum of ten times (once for each category).

That said, it is very unlikely that any one pub will fit all ten categories, so choose carefully.

The monthly winners will then be announced in the last edition of the paper each month.

Voting for the first category begins today and will finish on February 10. The winner will be announced in the paper on Wednesday, February 20 and also on our website at www.falmouthpacket.co.uk

Monthly winners will receive a free advert in our new-look entertainments section The Guide and a framed certificate which we will present to the pub.

The Packet Pub of the Year 2019 will receive a whopping £1,000 of advertising across our titles' platforms - online and in print.

VOTING IS NOW OPEN!

Please send your Food Pub nomination (and town/village) with an optional explanation of NO MORE than 100 words.

1, Email editorial@packetseries.co.uk

2, Visit Packet Newspapers facebook page and send a direct message to our inbox

3, Post to Falmouth Packet, Falmouth Business Park, Bickland Water Road, TR11 4SZ

Please DO NOT put your nominations on the comments feed beneath the facebook post, because the voting should remain private. Any vote that does appear there will not be counted.

Categories:

FEBRUARY (now): Food Pub

Whether it's fine dining in a pub setting or proper pub grub done well, the food will be at the heart of these businesses.

MARCH: Rural/Village Pub

Cornwall has a multitude of pubs tucked away in villages and sometimes out on their own in the middle of nowhere! The best of these will take full advantage of their location and the challenges – and benefits – this provides.

APRIL: Town Pub

As the name suggests, these will be pubs in the heart of a town centre and all that this entails. They will have perfected switching from daytime to night-time trade, and the different style of service this requires.

MAY: Pub With A View

Sometimes a pub gets lucky with its setting – but it’s what it then goes on to do, to make the most of its location and provide the best customer experience, which matters here.

JUNE: Real Ale Pub

We're talking pubs that really take a pride in their wet stock and know just how to serve a perfect pint.

JULY: Dog Friendly Pub

These will be pubs that cater as much for their four-legged customers as their two-legged ones.

AUGUST: Community Pub

These need to be pubs that are truly at the heart of the community they serve.

SEPTEMBER: Most Sustainable

We're looking for pubs that really champion local produce and do their bit for the environment.

OCTOBER: Most Innovative

We want to hear about pubs that have broken away from the norm, diversified or done something to really stand out in a crowded market.

NOVEMBER: Family Friendly Pub

The winning pub in this category will make a real effort to cater for younger visitors also – it’s going to take more than just a separate children’s menu! We want to hear about pubs that make a real effort to cater for younger visitors also.

DECEMBER: Pub of the Year will be announced!