The Publican Awards 2016: as it happened
This year's event, which took place in association with Sky, saw the awards move from their traditional home on Park Lane to the brand new venue, which featured a huge variety of bars and activities for guests to sink their teeth into.
Almost 1,400 people from across the industry attended the awards, arriving on the red carpet for an opening drinks reception hosted by Sky, with indoor darts, boxing, golf and even virtual F1 driving available for them to try out.
Smashing the record
Publican's Morning Advertiser (PMA) editor Ed Bedington opened the ceremony, announcing to the crowd that they would shortly be undertaking an official world record attempt for the world's largest beer tasting, led by professional beer sommelier Jane Peyton.
And with a grand total of 1,236 sipping three beers brewed by Sharp's – including a specially brewed Publican Awards 25th Anniversary beer – the crowd utterly smashed it.
And as if it wasn't enough, guests also donated more than £9,000 for prostate cancer research.
Once the world record was in the bag and a delicious three-course meal served, McIntyre took to the stage for a round of raucous stand-up before announcing the winners of the awards' 19 categories.
Bedington said: "It truly was the biggest and best Publican Awards yet. It was a privilege and an honour to be awarding the absolute best of our sector – those operators who refuse to sit still, pushing their businesses forward whether that is through food, accommodation, brewing or how far they're willing to go for their employees."
Party time
After the winners were announced, guests headed back to the bar area to sample a massive range of drinks from bars hosted by Jägermeister, Captain Morgan, Miller Brands, Coca Cola Enterprises, Heineken, Britvic, Kopparberg, Orangina, Waddle Goose, Bacardi, Peroni and Molson Corrs.
Ambassadors from Tradeteam and Drinkaware were also in attendance.
To finish it off, Publican Awards' stalwart band led by Rick Parfitt Junior, son of the Status Quo star, took to the stage and the revelling carried on into the early hours.
