The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) is delighted to announce their six incredible finalists for this year’s Licensee of the Year competition.
Sponsored by Sky, the Licensee of the Year competition is widely regarded as the most rigorous and hard-fought award for individual licensee operators in the UK.
Since the launch in January this year, licensee operators have been entering the competition, showing the judges evidence of how they have been rebuilding their businesses and communities, with a focus on their resilience, sustainability and diversification.
This year, the entries have been of a particularly high standard, making it even more difficult for our team of judges to decide who to take through to the Finals.
Selected from a field of over 300 entrants, our six Finalists have been selected on the basis of their community impact, exceptional mystery diner visits, financial and online audits and face-to-face interviews in their pubs with judges, Sue Allen and Ashley McCarthy.
The 2022 Licensee of the Year Finalists are as follows:
Amanda & Nick Hemming – Heron Inn, Truro, TR1 1SL
Michael Pearson & Charlotte Salaman – The Wych Elm, Kingston Upon Thames, KT2 6HT
Joe Buckley & Flo Pearce – Tollemache Arms, Harrington, NN6 9NU
Rumit & Tosh Lakhani – The White Horse, Buckover, GL12 8DX
Stuart Fox & Julian Crowley – The White Horse, Dover, CT16 1QF
James Lyon Shaw – The Greene Oak, Windsor, SL4 5UW
You can find more info here on the Licensee of the Year page.
Steven Alton, BII CEO commented: "Our Licensee of the Year Award is the most prestigious & hard-fought award, showing the excellence in our sector. The final six are of an incredible standard.
“We are proud that the awards process this year, more than ever, is offering a value-added experience to all those involved, with business insight and the chance to evaluate your business available at every stage, from mystery diner visits and feedback, right through to our final judging day at Sky HQ.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all involved and wish them the best of luck for the final stages of the competition."
All six finalists will be presented with a trophy at the on the 21st of June, where the winner of Licensee of the Year 2022 will be crowned.
The BII would like to thank everyone who has entered the competition this year. Keep your eyes peeled for another opportunity to enter in the January 2023.