Greene King, the country’s leading pub company and brewer, enjoyed a gala night of celebration to crown the stars from its pubs, breweries and support centres in Wakefield.
There were a record number of nominations for this year’s Pride of Greene King Awards which were open to all 39,000 who work in the business.
A month after Greene King was named the Best Pub Employer at the 2023 Publican’s Awards, it was fitting for the company to showcase and toast its own winning team members.
The popular comedian and radio presenter, Johnny Cochrane hosted the brilliant night of celebration at The Tileyard North attended by 200 Greene King team members while it was livestreamed to all employees.
There were 12 awards ranging from Customer First to Outstanding Contribution, recognising Operational Excellence and Freedom to Succeed. All entries were scrutinised by a panel of judges which included last year’s awards’ winners and the Greene King executive board. The night culminated with the We Pour Happiness into Lives Award, voted by team members, and won by Richard Johnson, general manager for Plum Tree Farm in Blackpool.
Speaking on the night, Greene King CEO Nick Mackenzie, said: “This is a fantastic occasion to celebrate our teams and shine the spotlight on some of the real stars of Greene King. The energy and passion our teams put into their daily jobs makes me really proud.
“Given the amazing quality of all our nominations and finalists, there were no easy decisions when it came to selecting the winners. It is great to see so many people embracing our culture, living our values, looking after our customers and communities, caring for our teams and building careers. There was definitely a lot of pride and celebration on the evening, and I’d like to thank and congratulate all our finalists.”
During the event, comedian and radio presenter, Johnny Cochrane told the audience: “I’m delighted to have been the host of this year’s awards and it was great to catch up with the Greene King family!”
Winner of the Outstanding Contribution Award was head of food development, Jason Radbourn. He was praised for his outstanding work and commitment, especially with local businesses and students.
Speaking after the awards were announced, Jason said: “I am a little shocked to be honest! This award is for the whole food development team really as I couldn’t do it without them. It’s great when you see dishes you create proving to be so popular on our pub menus. I’m lucky to be able to work with a great team as well as people from different backgrounds, to help develop and inspire the next generation of chefs.”
The 2023 Awards ensured there was a strong commitment to Greene King’s environment and social values with all recyclable materials used. Special guest Johnny Cochrane works with Expert Impact, a social conscious agency which supports social and environmental change.
