Tenants at eight Brakspear pubs were singled out for recognition and a £500 prize at the company’s annual Hospitality Awards, announced recently at a party held close to the pub owner’s base in Henley-on-Thames.
The awards once again recognised excellence demonstrated by tenants, either in one distinct area such as Marketing, Food or Heart of the Community, or across the board, for the Best All-Round and Best Newcomer. Mystery customer scores, TripAdvisor reports and overall sales growth were also considered within the judging process.
This year’s Hospitality Award winners, who each received a commemorative plaque and £500, were:
Best Newcomers: Adam & Sandra Purdy (pictured), The Horns, Crazies Hill near Henley
Best Kept Cellar: Richard Athroll & Veronica Diaz De Athroll, Dog & Duck, Wokingham
Best Marketing: Richard Edwards, Potters Arms, Winchmore Hill, Amersham
Best Growth: Peter Collie, Horseshoe Inn, Southwark , London
Best Food: Hendrik Dutson & Julie Groves, White Horse, Kings Sutton, Banbury
Heart of the Community: Hollie & Jen Tillet, The Badger, New Ash Green, Dartford
Best Garden: Matthew & Rachel Weedon, Lamb Inn, Crawley near Witney
Best All-Round: Howard Witten & Jo Wredden, Crooked Billet, Wokingham
Chief executive Tom Davies said, “We take our annual awards very seriously. All nominations were thoroughly scrutinised and we employed external experts to judge the shortlisted pubs in three categories. Our winners should be very proud of their victory and we hope they all maximise it to boost their presence locally.”
He added, “I was particularly pleased to be making awards to long-standing tenants as well as to some who have joined Brakspear more recently. It shows that whether you’re an old hand or new to the industry, you can turn your pub into an award winner and Brakspear will support you all the way.
“We hope all our winners enjoy spending their well-deserved reward and look forward to recognising more talented tenants in the future.”
Winner of the Best Newcomer Award, Adam Purdy of the Horns said, “Receiving this award from Brakspear shows our commitment and hard work has paid off, none of which would have been achieved without our excellent team and our fantastic customers. Ultimately we’re both very proud to win this award and look forward to many more years here at the Horns.”
The Hospitality Awards were announced at a black tie party held at Brakspear’s Crooked Billet in Stoke Row near Henley and attended by 150 tenants, Brakspear employees and suppliers.
