The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) has announced the six finalists for this year’s Licensee of the Year awards, staged in association with Sky Business.
Selected from a field of more than 500 entrants, the finalists have been selected based on their community impact, support for their teams, commitment to sustainability, their plans for diversification, and that ‘X factor’ that makes brilliant pubs so special.
They all had exceptional mystery diner visit scores, and faced financial and online audits, followed by face-to-face interviews in their pubs with judges Amanda Hemming and Ashley McCarthy.
“We are very proud that the awards offer a value-added experience at every stage of the competition,” said BII chief executive Steve Alton.
“Our finalists will have had the opportunity to evaluate their businesses at every stage, from mystery customer reports and judging visit feedback, right through to our final judging day at Sky HQ on Monday, 16th June.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all involved and wish them the best of luck for the final stages of the competition. I can’t wait to meet them all next month for our final judging day.”
The winners will be announced at the BII Summer Event, on 17th June.
The finalists
- Janice Blacklock and Amanda Buchanan, The Border Terrier, North Shields
- Jon Howard, The Wykeham Arms, Winchester
- Harry Seccombe and Geoff Popple, Chaplin’s and The Cellar Bar, Boscombe
- Michael Dove and Tommy Higgs, The Three Horseshoes, Witney
- Micky Foden-Andrews, The Swan, Windsor
- Mark Annear, The Cott Inn, Dartington
