TikTok video that saved Dorset pub earns award nomination

The team behind a viral video that helped reopen a village pub has been nominated for a TikTok award.

Friends of The Elm Tree began posting on social media after The Elm Tree Inn in Langton Herring, Dorset, shut its doors in November 2023.

Their Gen Z-inspired TikTok clip has reached millions worldwide and led to a crowdfunding campaign that resulted in the pub trading again earlier this year.

The video is shortlisted for Video of the Year at the TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025, taking place in London later.

The post is titled “pov your gen z daughter writes the campaign script to save your village pub”.

It stars Tim Warren, 68, and was written by his daughter Sarah.

In the 50-second video, campaigners describe “getting lit on a Friday night” and “feeling salty” about the pub’s closure.

It resulted in the campaign receiving support from countries including Brazil, Singapore, Australia and South Africa.

“It saved our pub basically,” Mr Warren said, who spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme alongside his daughter.

The villagers put forward £300,000 for their beloved pub but needed to raise double that in order to keep its doors open.

“We couldn’t really believe it,” said Sarah when reflecting on the viral success of their parody video.

“We were just so excited and so happy about it and so was everybody in the village.”

Thanks to crowdfunding generated off the back of the social media video the villagers were able to purchase the pub in May and it reopened in July.

The TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 features 72 creators across 12 categories boasting a combined following of over 83 million.