The Orange Tree in Baldock is one of 10 pubs from across the country to reach the finals of the Community Pub Hero Awards.

The competition - organised by PubAid and the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group and sponsored by Matthew Clark - was created to recognise the great work done by pubs since the first COVID lockdown in March last year.

The Comet: Orange Tree, BaldockOrange Tree, Baldock (Image: Archant)

On the day after lockdown, licensee Rob Scahill decided to turn The Orange Tree into a shop. Within a couple of days, he had stocked his store by reaching out to suppliers, staff and friends offering to volunteer, and help from Greene King.

The Orange Tree shop opened every day, firstly for priority customers including vulnerable and NHS workers, giving them a safe shopping environment before it opened to other residents.

The Comet: The Orange Tree, Baldock, used its premises to create a food store in lockdownThe Orange Tree, Baldock, used its premises to create a food store in lockdown (Image: Archant)

With this support to make the shop viable, Rob chose to make it a not-for-profit operation and added 20 per cent to the cost price of items with that amount going to a new Baldock Musicians Support Fund – founded by Rob.

He also continued the pub’s much-loved quiz going through lockdown, with more than 100 people joining online every Tuesday.

The Comet: The Orange Tree is one of ten pubs in the UK to be shortlisted in the Community Pub Hero AwardsThe Orange Tree is one of ten pubs in the UK to be shortlisted in the Community Pub Hero Awards (Image: Archant)

Rob said: “I am so proud to be able to say that I never closed my doors. The Baldock Musicians Fund is now closed but in the 15 weeks from the first Saturday of lockdown, we raised an utterly incredible £22,119.”

Nationwide, 115 pubs entered the Community Pub Hero Awards, the majority nominated by their local MP. Entries were judged by a panel of industry experts and the overall Community Pub Hero will be announced later this spring.

The Comet: The Orange Tree is one of ten pubs in the UK to be shortlisted in the Community Pub Hero AwardsThe Orange Tree is one of ten pubs in the UK to be shortlisted in the Community Pub Hero Awards (Image: Archant)

PubAid co-founder Des O’Flanagan said: “Our heartfelt congratulations go to The Orange Tree. Landlords and landladies and their teams have offered invaluable support for communities during the pandemic, whether offering vital supplies for residents, cooking hot meals for the elderly or countering social isolation through online quizzes or chats."

This is the third year for the competition, which was reshaped and renamed this year – formerly Charity Pub of the Year - to focus on community support.

The other finalists are pubs in Richmond, Brighton, Newquay, Blackburn, Merseyside, Darlington, Wigan, Kent and Basingstoke.