BII announces Licensee of the Year finalists

Six pub and bar operators have made it through to the final of the BII's annual Licensee of the Year Awards.

In partnership with Sky Business, the competition asks individual operators to show evidence of how they have been building their businesses, teams and communities, with a focus on resilience, sustainability and diversification. 

Selected from a field of over 300 entrants, the six BII finalists also all had high mystery diner visit scores, and faced financial and online audits, followed by face-to-face interviews in their pubs with judges.

The 2024 Licensee of the Year Award finalists are Chris Michaelas and April Reeves from The Dartford Sports Bar; Justine Lorriman from The Royal Dyche; Max Shaw and Kelly Deary from The Castle Inn; Paul Dexter and Keith Goddard from The Old Swan; Steve Banks from The Woodman, Ruislip; and Victoria Williams and Zac Williams-Wolfe from Fletchers Arms.

Last year's winners were Joe Buckley and Flo Pearce from The Tollemache Arms in Harrington, the 2024 Northamptonshire Pub & Bar of the Year.

Hard-fought wins

"Our Licensee of the Year Award is a hard-fought award, showcasing the dedication and excellence in our sector," says Steven Alton, BII CEO. "The final six this year represent a wide range of fantastic pubs, each offering a unique approach to the care and dedication to their teams and communities.

"We are very proud that the awards offer a value-added experience at every stage of the competition. 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 17 June."

All six finalists will be presented with a trophy at the BII Summer Event on 18 June, where the winner of Licensee of the Year 2024 will be crowned.

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