Publican Awards: Triple Crown for Fuller’s and Oakman Inns

Awards host, comedian David Walliams, handed out 19 awards on Monday night at London’s Grosvenor House in front of 1,300 guests – the biggest event in the pub industry’s calendar.

Family brewer Fuller’s won the Best Managed Pub Company and Best Food Offer categories for operators with 51+ sites. And its operations director – tenanted, Mike Clist, collected the Outstanding Industry Contribution award.

14-strong Hertfordshire multiple operator Oakman Inns, run by Peter Borg-Neal, was named Best Community Operator, Best Employer (2-50 sites) and Best New Pub/Bar for the Beech House in St Albans.

It was a good night for Punch Taverns too, as the tenanted pubco won Best Operations Team (for Paul Pavli’s new business division) and was named the inaugural winner of the new Responsible Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by Drinkaware.

Best Managed Pub Company (2-50 sites) went to New World Trading Company – part of Living Ventures – which also won the Best Drinks Offer award.

Star Pubs & Bars collected a hard-fought trophy for Best Tenanted & Leased Pub Company (201+ sites), and St Austell won the same award for pubcos with up to 200 sites.

Brewdog took a competitive Best Brand/Concept award, for its fast-growing estate of craft beer bars, ahead of the highly-commended Common Room chain from Stonegate. And Brewdog was itself highly commended in the Best Brewing Pub Company category, but lost out to winner, Shropshire-based Joule’s.

Late Night Operator of the year was Columbo Group; Best Accommodation Operator went to Beds & Bars; and the Best Food Offer (2-50 sites) award was given to Joycelyn Neve’s Seafood Pub Company.

Whitbread was named Best Employer (51+ sites).

And Mike Tye, chief executive of Spirit Pub Company, was voted Business Leader of the Year. He delivered a video acceptance speech to Publican Awards guests from his holiday in Vietnam.

Full list of Publican Awards winners 2015​​

Best Accommodation Operator​

Winner: Beds & Bars

Highly commended: Young’s

Best Brand/Concept​

Winner: BrewDog

Highly commended: Common Room (Stonegate)

Best Brewing Pub Company​

winner: Joule’s

Highly commended: Brew Dog

Best Community Pub Operator​

Winner: Oakman Inns

Highly commended: Thorley Taverns

Best Drinks Offer​

Winner: New World Trading Company

Highly commended: Be at One

Best Employer (2 to 50 sites)​

Winner: Oakman Inns

Best Employer (51+ sites)​

Winner: Whitbread

Best Food Offer (2 to 50 sites)​

Winner: Seafood Pub Company

Highly commended: Anglian Country Inns

Best Food Offer (51+ sites)​

Winner: Fuller’s

Best Late Night Operator​

Winner: Columbo Group

Highly commended: Luminar

Best Managed Pub Company (51+)​

Winner: Fuller’s

Best Managed Pub Company ( 2 to 50)​

Winner: New World Trading Company

Best New Pub/Bar​

Winner: The Beech House, St Albans – Oakman Innss

Highly commended: ​Smugglers Cove, Liverpool – New World Trading Company

Best Operations Team​

Winner: Punch Taverns (new business team)

Best Tenanted & Leased Pub Company (up to 200 sites)​

Winner: St Austell Brewery

Best Tenanted & Leased Pub Company (201+ sites)​

Winner: Star Pubs & Bars

Business Leader of the Year​

Winner: Mike Tye, Spirit Pub Company

Outstanding Industry Contribution​

Winner: Mike Clist, Fuller's

Responsible Retailer of the Year​

Winner: Punch Taverns

Highly commended: Star Pubs & Bars