Brakspear rewards top five tenants with up to £2,000 each

The awards were made to the tenants who achieved the highest scores in the company’s mystery customer scheme.

Daniel & Tracey Taverner, Five Horseshoes, Maidensgrove,near Henley-on-Thames
John Donohue, Red Lion, Cholsey, near Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Simon Duffy, Rising Sun, Witheridge Hill, Henley-on-Thames
Robert Hurst & Sandra Evans, John Barleycorn, Goring-on-Thames
Mark & Sandra Duggan, Three Tuns, Henley-on-Thames

The overall score across the estate increased by 4% in the most recent round of visits, held in autumn 2011 - compared to the same score for the previous year - and has risen by 8% since Brakspear started the mystery customer programme in 2010.

Tom Davies, Brakspear chief executive, said: “Standards across all our pubs have taken a big step in the right direction since we started the mystery visits, as pub tenants have recognised their value as a tool to help them improve their business. The reports from visits highlight each pub’s strengths and weaknesses as experienced by the only people who matter - the customers - and help our pub tenants to make the right decisions on staff training and investment to move their pub forward.”

Four of this year’s winners elected to take £2,000 to invest in their pub, while one took the £1,000 cash alternative and shared it among the staff team.