The British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) is delighted to announce their six finalists for this year’s Licensee of the Year Award (LOYA).
Since the launch in January this year, licensee operators have been entering the competition, showing the judges evidence of how they have been building their businesses, teams, and communities, with a focus on their resilience, sustainability and diversification.
Selected from a field of over 500 entrants, our six finalists have been selected based on their community impact, support for their teams, commitment to sustainability, their plans for diversification and the “X factor” that makes brilliant pubs so special.
They all had exceptional mystery diner visit scores, and faced financial and online audits, followed by face-to-face interviews in their pubs with judges, Amanda Hemming and Ashley McCarthy.
The 2025 Licensee of the Year Award finalists are as follows:
Janice Blacklock & Amanda Buchanan – Border Terrier, NE30 3SF
Jon Howard – The Wykeham Arms, SO23 9PE
Harry Seccombe & Geoff Popple – Chaplin’s & The Cellar Bar, BH1 4AG
Michael Dove & Tommy Higgs – Three Horseshoes, OX28 6BS
Micky Foden-Andrews – The Swan, SL4 5JG
Mark Annear – The Cott Inn, TQ9 6HE
Steven Alton, BII CEO commented:
“Our Licensee of the Year Award is the most prestigious & hard-fought award, showcasing the dedication and excellence in our sector. 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 on Monday 16th June.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all involved and wish them the best of luck for the final stages of the competition. I can’t wait to meet them all next month for our final judging day.”