Matt Vickers

Hospitality is at the heart of our local communities. It is the best of British: the pubs we visit for a pint or two, the restaurants where we go to celebrate a special occasion, or the bars that power our night-time economy. My constituency is home to some truly incredible hospitality businesses—if you have never been for a night out in Yarm, you have never lived. We do not love pubs just because we love pints. The great British pub brings communities together. They tackle isolation, provide a safe environment where people can consume alcohol, support more than a million jobs and help many youngsters get their first foot on the employment ladder. The best ideas are usually the ones we come up with in the pub. Pubs are places where community spirit is found and fostered. If I had more time, I would tell hon. Members about the innovative and generous support shown to local charities by the Locomotion in Eaglescliffe and the Griffin in Thornaby. Like several MPs, I host my own pub awards, recognising and celebrating the best of our local pubs. This year’s winner was Courtney and the incredible team at the Myton House Farm pub in Ingleby Barwick. I am looking forward to celebrating more places in the coming years, such as Luna Blu, a fantastic local tapas restaurant and bar in Yarm; the Derry in Long Newton, where people can get a warm welcome, great grub and all the village gossip while enjoying one of the best beer gardens around—if Carlsberg made beer gardens, the Derry in Long Newton would be its aspiration—or the Masham in Hartburn, a must-visit eatery that arguably serves the best parmos on the planet. I would love to tell the House more about the incredible hospitality businesses in Stockton West, but time does not allow.