The Royal Oak in Swallowcliffe, which was saved by Mr May during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been named Best Local Pub in the Muddy Stilettos Regional Awards 2026.
Mr May stepped in to help preserve the pub during lockdown after realising it was the only one within walking distance of his Wiltshire home.
Since then, The Royal Oak has also become a launchpad for his gin venture, James Gin.
Other winners in Wiltshire include The Old Bell Hotel in Malmesbury for Best Afternoon Tea and The Wild Fig in Cricklade for Best Café.
Longstones Avebury in Avebury Trusloe took the title of Best Boutique Stay, while Coq in Chippenham won Best Casual Dining.
The awards, now in their 13th year, are organised by the lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos to spotlight creativity and excellence among indie businesses.
A spokesman for Muddy Stilettos said: “The Muddy Stilettos Awards are a great way for locals to say ‘thank you’ to their most loved indie shops, and for independent businesses to use the accolade of a Muddy Award to grow their businesses further.”
The 2026 awards generated nearly half a million votes and nominations nationwide.
Hero Brown, founder and editor-in-chief of Muddy Stilettos, said: “I set up these awards 13 years ago to give local lifestyle indies a chance to shine.
“It’s been an honour to showcase these most creative, innovative lifestyle businesses across Wiltshire.
“The response to this year’s Muddy Awards has been incredible with thousands voting to support an amazing array of local businesses, big and small.”
Other finalists in the pub category included The Silks in Ogbourne St Andrew, run by MasterChef winner Thomas Frake, and The Castle Inn in Castle Combe.
Winners were announced in categories ranging from Best Yoga/Pilates Studio and Best Family Experience to Best Florist and Best Restaurant.
This year’s edition was the most popular to date, reaching more than 11 million people nationally over nine weeks.
A full list of Wiltshire winners is available on the Muddy Stilettos website.
The awards are free to enter.
