Morgan: Being the best you can be is surely the prize

20-May-2012 - Last updated on 21-May-2012 at 14:25 GMT

Morgan: The pub sector is good at recognising excellence

By the time you read this the shenanigans at a certain recent awards ceremony will probably be a dim and distant memory, and I won’t go into repetitive detail here, but it did lead me to question the value of awards and rewards.

As individuals, we take part in life and strive to be the best we can be — as citizens, as pupils in schools and in our working lives. The satisfaction of knowing we’re doing a good job is enough for most of us.

Though we may not crave the recognition of others around us, it is immensely satisfying to be occasionally rewarded for the things we work hard to achieve. It’s equally fulfilling to be able to acknowledge and reward the work of others, and share in their delight.

For most people in the pub and brewing sectors, on top of personal satisfaction, the best reward is the compliment for a good pint, repeat orders or return visits by the customer. What constitutes a good pint, a good pub or a good operator is a matter of personal taste and opinion — and that is surely how it should be.

Yet great store is still held by the views of our peers. We surely welcome the multitude of events and festivals at which the quality of our sector is judged. Whether it be a bronze medal at a farmers’ market in Norfolk, a supreme champion award in the Shetlands or a merit at a national fair or festival, there is nothing that compares with that feeling of producing or achieving something that someone else likes.

Which is why it is such a crying shame that awards ceremonies now have a cloud cast upon them — especially as I believe the pub sector to be one that is traditionally excellent at recognising the contribution of people within the industry.

I was at the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers’ 20th anniversary celebrations recently and it was good to see the likes of Keith Knowles and Peter and Alex Salussolia receive recognition for their long-term contribution to the sector. It’s people like these we should rightly salute.

I truly hope that the recent controversy in Scotland was an exception, but I’d be naive if I really believed that. And that’s why we look to the likes of the Publican Awards to give a true reflection of the best the pub, bar and brewery sector has to offer — and I trust with that compliment, editor, that my award is in the post!

Neil Morgan is director and head of pubs at Christie+Co