A York pub steeped in history - complete with its own cat - is the next contender in a best pub competition.

The Black Swan is one of 10 finalists in The Press 'Best Pub 2024' awards.

Press readers have nominated their favourite pubs in York and North Yorkshire via an online voting platform.

They will now be able to vote for their 'Best Pub 2024' by picking up copies of the The Press newspaper until August 3, with the winner set to be announced the week of August 5.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Each copy of The Press in the coming days will feature a short profile on each pub and why it thinks it deserves to be voted number one in York.

The Black Swan in Peasholme Green dates back to 1417 and with its black and white façade, it stands out as a real piece of York’s history.

While landlady Maggie Anderton, 35, hasn’t been at the helm quite that long, she has spent the bulk of her adult life working in The Black Swan – starting in the kitchen as a chef at the age of 20 and eventually going on to inherit the pub after her long term partner passed away.

Maggie still works a regular shift in the kitchen, but she says she makes an effort to come down to the bar to mingle with patrons. 

“I could never just be sat upstairs, I like being a part of it," she said.

Some of the food on offer at The Black SwanSome of the food on offer at The Black Swan (Image: Provided)

The Black Swan stocks three regular beers on tap – Old Peculiar, Landlords, and Heart and Soul by Vocation – alongside its regular lagers, spirits, and a rolling guest cider.

It also prides itself on its food with almost all dishes made in house and to demand.

Ronnie the Rhino serves behind the bar at The Black SwanRonnie the Rhino serves behind the bar at The Black Swan (Image: Provided)

The most popular item, according to Maggie, is the homemade pies – with both steak offerings (ale and stilton) being the main draw, but also on offer are chicken and leek, veggie, and a charity breakfast pie - with funds going to raise money for MND charities.

The team also regularly raises money for charity, with the chosen charity rotating yearly. Staff have also entered relay teams into the Yorkshire Marathon.

The crowd at the pub tends to be mixed with a fairly even split of tourists and locals, with more than 20 different groups regularly renting the pub’s upstairs function rooms and rooms also open for staying guests.

The Black Swan Folk Club rehearsing in the pubThe Black Swan Folk Club rehearsing in the pub (Image: Facebook)

The Black Swan is well known for being the home of the iconic Black Swan Folk Club, which hosts a weekly session and annual folk festival where the pub is taken over by musicians from across the world.

Other regulars include much loved pub cat, Salem, and a supernatural cast of characters, who rarely show their faces but have made their presence known from time to time, Maggie says.

Maggie was keen to thank the staff, many of whom have been by her side for six or seven years, adding: “This nomination is far more theirs than it is mine.”