Nine pubs and four licensees have taken home honours at the Night of Excellence awards in a lavish ceremony and dinner held at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire.
The awards, hosted by Greene King Pub Partners, celebrated the success of Greene King Pub Partners’ licensees.
The awards were attended by numerous licensees from across the country who work with Greene King Pub Partners, as well as representatives from the hospitality and pub sector including trade bodies, business leaders and more.
Comprising of 15 awards ranging from Community Pub of the Year to Pub Team of the Year – and an overall Pub of the Year award – entrants to the Night of Excellence awards go through a strict judging process including mystery visits in order to be crowned winners. Over 200 pubs and licensees entered the awards, eventually being whittled down to 30 finalists.
The Stag at Lyndhurst, located in Hampshire, was the overall winner of the Pub of the Year Award, also picking up Pub Team of the Year and Community Pub of the Year along the way.
Grant Chinnery, Licensee of The Ship in Chelmsford, won the Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of three generations of his family – including himself – running the pub.
Clive Price, founder of Baron Pub Co Ltd, won the Multiple Operator of the Year award for the second year in a row.
Other winners from the night were:
• The Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, Birmingham, which won Entertainment Pub of the Year in recognition of its regular programme of events and strong reputation as a music venue.
• The Masons Arms in Bury St Edmunds, which won Beer Pub of the Year for its great range of cask ales, lagers and bottle beer including alcohol free options.
• The Kings Arms in Haughley, Suffolk, which won Food Pub of the Year for its quality and varied menu that offers something for everybody.
• Ray Irwin and Bonnie Tarleton, franchisees of The Guy Earl of Warwick in Welling, South East London, who jointly won Franchisee of the Year for their incredible performance.
• The Shortlands Tavern in South London, which won Innovation Pub of the Year for its ‘Guinness Cab’ – a converted London black cab which serves Guinness.
• James Harris and Nicole Yeoh, licensees of The Green Man in Winchester, both won New Licensee of the Year for their transformation of the pub which they took on in April 2022.
• The Cricketers in Curdridge, Hampshire, which won Pub Garden of the Year for its beautifully kept beer garden combined with its outdoor covered Pavilion Barn providing all-year-round use of its garden.
• The East End Fox, Glasgow, which won Pub Investment of the Year for its transformation and new look led by licensee Ferrier Richardson.
• The Wine Vaults in Banbury, Oxfordshire, which won Spirit Pub of the Year for its range and quality of cocktails and serves, including flavoured gins.
• The Royal Exchange in Haverhill, Suffolk, which won Sport Pub of the Year for its 5 flat-screen TVs with state-of-the-art 3D Sky Sports provided for all customers watching the sport.
• Special recognition was given at the awards to Tom Kerridge, licensee of The Hand and Flowers in Marlow, for the pubs excellent food offer and overall operation.
Wayne Shurvinton, Managing Director, Partnerships & Ventures at Greene King, said:
“Congratulations to all the winners at this year’s Night of Excellence awards. A massive well done too to the team at The Stag at Lyndhurst for winning Pub of the Year!
“Celebrating the success of our Partners and their achievements is really important to us. Our Partners and franchisees are among the very best in our trade, so it’s great to see that recognised.
“The standard of entry was exceptionally high and the judges had a really hard job to pick the winners.”
