Publican Awards aims to celebrate sector
The Publican Awards have long celebrated excellence in the pub and bar sector, promoting the best within the trade, and this year there’s even more reason to highlight the great things that pub companies are doing.
Ed Bedington, editor of The MA, which organises the awards, said: “This is an industry that has been battered more than most by the restrictions imposed on it during the corona crisis. Each time it’s faced down the challenge and adapted to survive.
Excellence amid pressure
“Unfortunately, not every business has made it through the crisis, but with government focus seeming to be on hammering the sector, we want to use the platform of the Publican Awards to remind everyone how important our sector is an employer and to the economy, and highlight some of the fantastic things these companies are still managing to achieve, despite the enormous pressures that are being put upon them.”
The awards will continue to recognise excellence across the traditional Publican categories, although judges this year will be looking for examples of how companies have risen to the challenge in each category.
Unfortunately, this year, we are unable to run the late night category as the sector has effectively been shut all year. However, we will be looking to pay special tribute in the awards to what is a fantastic sector that has had to shoulder more of the disruption than any other and helping to keep their plight in the spotlight.
Bedington added: “The late night sector has, and continues to take a hammering with little end in sight. While we can’t recognise business excellence in an industry that isn’t allowed to operate, we’ll be doing everything we can to recognise some of the great things that have been going on in that sector in spite of the difficulties.
Talk up the industry
“These awards will really give us the opportunity to talk up the industry and remind the politicians and society in general of how important the hospitality sector is, as an employer and a contributor to societal needs.
“I’d urge as many companies as possible to take part in these awards. We want to be able to gather as many stories of excellence as we can to help strengthen the message that hospitality matters.”
The awards are now open for entry across a number of categories listed below. Entry deadline is 4 December, and you can enter the awards by clicking here.
The awards categories are:
- Best Accommodation Operator
- Best Brand and Marketing
- Best Brewing Pub Company
- Best Sustainable Pub Company
- Best Community Operator
- Best Food Offer
- Best Premium Food Offer
- Best Drinks Offer
- Best New Site
- Best Pub Employer – up to 500 employees
- Best Pub Employer – 501+ Employees
- Best Operations Team
- Best Managed Pub Company – 2 – 50 sites
- Best Managed Pub Company – 51+ sites
- Best Tenanted/Leased Pub Company up to 500 sites
- Best Tenanted/Leased Pub Company 501+ sites
The awards are kindly sponsored by Britvic, Budweiser Brewing Group, Heineken UK, Molson Coors and Sky.
Bedington added: “These awards have always been the most robust and challenging, and we aim to continue to maintain those standards regardless of the crisis - these are awards worth winning and will help us to celebrate with everyone in the sector. So get working on your entries now.”
