Since the launch in January this year, those working in the licensed trade were encouraged to enter to showcase their businesses and how they have grown through the pandemic, as well as how they have continued to diversify and develop their businesses to become more sustainable and thrive once again.
This year, the BII has seen the largest number of nominations ever received for the competition, with well over 300 licensees being recognised by colleagues and friends as worthy contenders for the award. The particularly high standard of entries received this year made it even more difficult for the team of judges to decide on Quarter Finalists.
Selected from the field of over 300 entrants, the 51 Licensee of the Year Quarter-Finalists have reached this far in the awards on the basis of their exceptional applications and high scores from the Social Media and web presence audits carried out by the BII team.
The next step involves HGEM, partners of the BII Licensee of the Year Award, sending out mystery diners and drinkers to each of our 51 Quarter-Finalists.
The 2022 Licensee of the Year Quarter-Finalists are as follows:
Nicole & Nick Holt - The Stag
Matthew Crowther - The Fat Pug
Lee Colbert - The Royal Oak
Jonathon Ellershaw & Claire Morton - The Vine Inn
Wayne Jones - The Turf Hotel
Darren & Charlotte Nash - The Red Lion
Nicola & Gary Thomas - The Chetwynd Arms
Richard Battye - The Boars Head
Stephanie Dexter - The Cross Keys
Patricia Watson - The Elephant and Castle
Chris Deakin - The Shoulder of Mutton
Susan Busby - Three Churches Inn
Ashley Ryan - Steelmelters Arms
Dilia Scott - The Nags Head
Vanessa Mulholland - The Chequers Inn
Kris Perrin - The Fairy Falls Hotel
Jason Delaney - Ten Tun Tap House
Sam Davies - Dartmoor Halfway Inn
Amanda Hemmings - The Heron Inn
Ruth and Andrew Seggie - Howard Arms
Joe Buckley - Tollemache Arms
Henry Pearman - Ye Olde Horseshoe Inn
Michael Pearson - The Wych Elm
Mark & Nicky Williamson - The West Arms
Jackie Fairman - The Hare and Hounds
Michelle Proud - The Falcon
Rumit Lakhani - The White Horse
James Lyon-Shaw - The Greene Oak
Mark Annear - The Cott Inn
Stuart Fox - The White Horse Inn
Josh and Tobi Hardisty - Black Horse Hotel
Jane Jenkins - The Garthangharad
Warren Kreft - The Bridge Inn
Matthew Arnold - The Kings Head
Maurice Chameau - Crookes Social Club
Samantha Robinson - Queens Head Hotel
Cerys Jones - The Swan
Shoes Simes - The Rainbow
Scott Heath - The Cricket Inn
Chris Lambe - The Hassocks Hotel
Jesse Dunford-Wood - Parlour Kensal
Scott Westlake - Myrtle Tavern
Garry Tallent - The Red Lion
Ashley Windle - The Royal Wootton Bassett
Daniel Smith - The Red Lion
Siobhan and Tom Addy - The Carpenters Arms
Josh Mullet-Sadones - The Old Bookbinders Ale House
Marc and Donna Slater - Thirsty Farmer, Exeter, EX5 2QQ
Alan Boddington and Debbie Tapp - The Poltimore Inn
Steve Orme - The Red Lion, Shepperton
Ken Shaw and Josephine Pangandian - The George and Dragon
To learn more about our Quarter-Finalists, please visit our website: https://bit.ly/LOYA2022
Steven Alton, BII CEO commented: "Our Licensee of the Year Award is the most prestigious & hard-fought award, showing the excellence in our sector. Our Quarter-Finalists are of a fantastic 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 their businesses at every stage, from mystery diner visits and feedback, right through to our final judging day at Sky HQ."
We will be announcing our Semi-Finalists at the end of April who will then receive a visit and interview at their premises with Head Judges, Sue Allen and Ashley McCarthy. After these visits, they will sit down with our winners from 2021 – Jason and Chris Black - to decide who our six finalists will be.
All six finalists will be presented with a trophy at the BII Summer Event on the 21st June, where the winner of Licensee of the Year 2022 will ultimately 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 New Year 2023.