We have launched our Licensee of the Year Award 2023!

As the most prestigious award for an individual or partnership of licensees in our industry, we are looking forward to finding our Licensee of the Year Award winners. We have already had so many enquiries, we are now collating interested applicant's details.

To nominate yourself or another licensee please click the banner below to complete the form and a member of the team will be in touch with an application form.

Find out more about the competition and how to enter in our interactive guide.

Entries close on 27th February 2023.

Watch our short video reel of the Finalists' day for LOYA22 at Sky!

In partnership with Sky, the Licensee of the Year Award is widely regarded as the most rigorous and hard-fought award for individual licensee operators in the UK. 

Learn more about the Licensee of the Year Application Process Webinar
Monday Feb 6th at 2pm

The BII Licensee of the Year Award is seen as the most prestigious award in the hospitality industry. Hannah will also be joined by last year's LOYA finalists and NITAs 2022 winners, Joe and Flo from The Tolly, talking about their own experience of the LOYA process, and why you should enter the awards for 2023!

Click the image on the left to sign up.

Meet our LOYA 2022 Winners, Nick and Amanda Hemming

Heron Inn, Malpas

"We’re still pinching ourselves to make sure this wasn’t just an incredible dream!

To be involved in such an amazing event has been wonderful, thank you to the team at BII for their support we can’t wait to work closely with you all to share our love and passion for this incredible Industry. 
All 6 finalists run exceptional pubs, and are the most wonderful people that we’ve been lucky enough to meet."

Meet our Finalists from 2022

Get to know more about our 6 incredible Finalists from LOYA 2022!

 Amanda and Nick Hemming
Heron Inn Malpas
Truro, TR1 1SL

A beautiful riverside gastropub, The Heron Inn is located in the village of Malpas, overlooking the waters of the Truro and Tresillian rivers, where they join the river Fal.

The stunning views of the estuary make this a real destination pub, but the key to its success lies with Amanda and Nick’s vision and leadership.
As the heart of the kitchen, Nick ensures they have the highest quality ingredients and is on first name terms with every farmer, fisherman and supplier, 
creating long lasting relationships that ensure their menu is second to none.

James Lyon Shaw
The Greene Oak
Windsor, SL4 5UW

The Greene Oak is a charming neighbourhood pub, located outside Windsor, offering a warm, welcoming environment with genuinely friendly staff, and gastronomic experiences that showcase their outstanding suppliers and produce.

 Sustainability is key to the future of hospitality, and the Greene Oak leads from the front, using ethically and sustainably sourced food, in an almost plastic-free operation for their incredible menus. Partnering with colleges locally and internationally, James champions best practice when it comes to the team at the Greene Oak, with apprentices in the business at all times, allowing them to build a passionate team of hospitality professionals. 

Joe Buckley & Flo Pearce
The Tollemache Arms 
Harrington, NN6 9NU

The Tollemache Arms, or the Tolly as it is known locally, is a rural, quintessentially English thatched pub, nestled in the Northamptonshire countryside.

 Welcoming guests with an authentic log fire and an excellent menu that supports local suppliers, Joe and Flo have created the kind of pub they would like to spend time in themselves since taking over in 2015.
Their commitment and unique approach to training and developing their staff saw them win a BII NITAs award in April for the Best Training Programme for an Individual Operator, with honesty, compassion and positivity being at the heart of everything they do.

Michael Pearson & Charlotte Salaman
The Wych Elm Kingston
Kingston Upon Thames, KT2 6HT

Located in North Kingston, the Wych Elm is a family run pub nestled in the heart of its community. 

After having lived locally for 25 years, Michael and Charlotte were customers long before taking the pub on as tenants. They strive to keep this neighbourhood pub a true local, with quality food & drinks, and warm, friendly service, and they always aim to sprinkle a little bit of magic on every person’s visit. 
Playing to their strengths, they have used Michael’s extensive experience in the hospitality sector and Charlotte’s design and marketing skills to create a unique business at the heart of their local community.

Stuart Fox and Julian Crowley
The White Horse Dover
Dover, CT16 1QF

This historic location dates back to 1574, originally as an Ale tasting house, before officially becoming known as The White Horse Inn from 1818.

Nowadays at the White Horse Inn, a mix of tourists and loyal locals alike gather to enjoy excellent home cooking and sample premium drinks in a cosy, traditional setting.
Stu and Jules as they are known to staff and locals, believe that their careful choice of team members and their focus on providing the best service possible, in a friendly environment are at the heart of their success. Their passion for creating a place where everyone feels welcome, shone through at every stage of the competition.

Rumit and Tosh Lakhani
The White Horse Buckover
Wotton-Under-Edge, GL12 8DX

The White Horse at Buckover is a country pub set in a stunning location, overlooking the Severn Estuary in South Gloucestershire.

 Father and son duo, Rumit and Tosh Lakhani have had huge success in introducing authentic Asian cuisine to their countryside pub, alongside their infamous wood fired pizzas and traditional British pub classics. About a mile out from the bustling market town of Thornbury, the reviews from delighted customers speak volumes about the incredible food, service and warm, welcoming environment the Lakhanis have created. Rumit and Tosh lead by example, not only overseeing the operational side of the business, but working alongside their team every day. 

Our LOYA 2021 Winners

Jason and Chris Black
The Pityme Inn
Wadebridge, PL27 6PQ

"It has been a rollercoaster of emotions getting through to the finals, with each stage of the competition giving us an opportunity to reflect upon our business and everything that we have achieved."

Our LOYA 2019 Winners

David Hage and Mark Osborne
The Railway, Lowdham
Nottingham NG14 7DU

"I'm the most surprised and gobsmacked that I've ever been about anything. Having just won Licensee of the Year Award at probably the biggest event we shall ever go t, in front of 800 people - it just doesn't get any better than that!

Our LOYA 2018 Winners

Alex and Tanya Williams
The Polgooth Inn
Polgooth, PL26 7DA

"After the BII Award we had a fantastic staff party to thank all our staff and our suppliers for helping us get to where we needed to be. We felt we wanted to shout about it in a way that was appropriate."