Two Shepherd Neame pubs in the Ashford area have been shortlisted in this year’s Great British Pub Awards.

The Compasses in Crundale near Canterbury and The Kings Head in Wye are among the finalists this year.

Licensed by husband and wife Rob and Donna Taylor, The Compasses already won in the Kent Life Food and Drink Awards 2015, and featured in Waitrose Good Food Guide 2015 and Harden’s UK Restaurant Guide 2015.

The pub is one of six shortlisted for best food pub.

Mr Taylor, who works as head chef, is also through to the semi-finals of the 2016 National Chef of the Year Competition.

The Compasses also won Tenanted Pub of the Year in the Shepherd Neame Pub Awards last month.

The Kings Head in Wye, licensed by Scott Richardson and Mark Lightford since 2012, is up for best partnership pub.

The pub is particularly renowned locally for their food, recently being named as a finalist for Kent Dining Pub of the Year in the Taste of Kent Awards, and winning Restaurant of the Year award in this years Shepherd Neame Pub Awards.

Hundreds of pubs from across the UK entered the prestigious national competition.

The Grove Ferry Riverside Pub and Inn in Upstreet near Canterbury was also shortlisted for best managed pub.

Shepherd Neame’s director of retail and tenanted operations, Nigel Bunting, said: “We are very proud that our pubs continue to be recognised at a national level.

“Our licensees and managers work hard with their teams to offer a distinctive customer experience.

“It is great to see their efforts celebrated by industry experts.”

Winners will be announced at the Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane on Wednesday October 5.