Licensees Richard and Jacqui Macey of the Fountain Inn in Clent, Worcestershire, enjoyed a double victory at The Publican Awards 2006 last night.
The couple not only won the coveted BII Licensee of the Year award but also scooped the award for Customer Service Pub of the Year.
Demonstrating staggering levels of business excellence, the pair turned their 62-seat village pub into a real money-spinner by focussing on staff training.
The licensees were thrilled to be named the UK's top publicans at the pub trade's answer to the Oscars. They collected their awards from comedian and Never Mind the Buzzcocks star Bill Bailey at London's esteemed Grosvenor House Hotel.
The licensees fought off stiff competition from five other finalists in both categories to secure the titles having impressed judges by their achievements over the last year.
Committed to retail excellence and high-quality service the pair have invested wisely in staff training and have seen eight members of their team gain the BII's Profitable Business Portfolio.
The winners:
- BII Licensee of the Year
- Sponsored by Matthew Clark
- Winners: Richard Macey FBII & Jacqueline Macey, Fountain Inn , Clent, Worcestershire
Newcomer of the Year
Sponsored by London and Edinburgh Inns
Winner: Alison Oxford, Mike Smith & Nigel Oxford, the Three Compasses, Hornsey, London
Highly Commended: Camilla Hansen, the Slug & Lettuce, Godalming, Surrey
Pub Design of the Year
Sponsored by Budweiser Budvar UK
Winner: The Cotton Factory, Huddersfield, Yorkshire
Highly Commended: the Wellington, Welwyn, Hertfordshire
Marketing Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Panasonic
Winner: The Norway Inn, Truro, Cornwall
Highly Commended: the Punch Tavern, Fleet Street, London
Customer Service Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Mitchells and Butlers
Winner: The Fountain Inn, Clent, Worcestershire
Music Pub of the Year
Sponsored by The Performing Right Society
Winner: Riff's Bar, Swindon, Wiltshire
Highly Commended: the Blues Bar, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Barperson of the Year
Sponsored by Carling
Winner: Kat Vaughan, the Wheelwright Arms, St Nicholas Hurst
Businessperson of the Year
Sponsored by Booker
Winner: Adam Giles, Nostalgia Inns
Family Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Britvic Soft Drinks
Winner: The Spring Inn, Rochdale, Lancashire
Catering Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Brakes
Winner: The Punch Tavern, London
Freehouse of the Year
Sponsored by Christie & Co
Winner: The Bay View Inn, Widemouth Bay, Cornwall
Entrepreneurial Business of the Year
Sponsored by Vodka Kick
Winner: The Orange Tree Group, Leicester
Highly Commended: Bar Sport, Cannock, Staffordshire
Retail Brand of the Year
Sponsored by Tradeteam
Winner: Varsity, Barracuda Group
Highly Commended: Sizzling Pub Company, Mitchells & Butlers
Pub Company of the Year - Managed (100 + outlets)
Sponsored by United Biscuits Foodservice
Winner: S A Brain & Co, Cardiff
Highly Commended: Barracuda Group, Marlow
Pub Company of the Year - Managed (10-99 outlets)
Sponsored by Walkers Snacks
Winner: Daniel Thwaites, Blackburn
Highly Commended: St Austell Brewery, Cornwall and Yesteryear Pub Company, Wigan
Pub Company of the Year - Tenanted / Leased (100 + outlets)
Sponsored by Barclays
Winner: Punch Taverns, Burton-on-trent
Highly Commended: Shepherd Neame, Faversham
Pub Company of the Year - Tenanted / Leased (10-99 outlets)
Sponsored by American Express
Winner: Hydes Brewery, manchester
Regional Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Cashbox ATM Systems
Winner: Fuller Smith & Turner