Some described winning as a “career-topping moment” while others noticed an almost immediate uplift in trade.
Pubs from all over the UK apply to the awards and are filtered through a thorough judging process by an extensive panel of industry professionals.
There are a total of 17 categories, including Best Country Pub, Best Pub for Dogs, Best Pub Garden and most importantly, overall Great British Pub of the Year.
Previous winners at the awards ceremony said they had experienced a direct increase in business after winning.
Owner of the Red Lion in Cranford, Northamptonshire, Richard Gordon, won the award for Punch Pub of the Year in 2024.
Career-topping moment
He said: “It was a career-topping moment of my 40-year career for all of us to be recognised nationally.
“The press was just huge. We were in all the local magazines, radio stations and TV and this had a real positive impact on people coming through the door.”
Another winner at last year’s awards was the Myrtle Tavern in Leeds, which was crowned the Best Pub Garden.
Operator of the Myrtle Tavern Scott Westlake said the team were happy to be finalists for the award but didn’t expect to win.
“We noticed an increase in customers as soon as the spring started in the first spell of sunshine in March, which brought lots of new faces to the Tavern”, he continued.
Having won the overall title in 2019 and Greene King Pub of the Year last year, the Cott Inn, Dartington has continued to see a positive financial impact from the awards.
Proper party
Reflecting on the impact, licensee Mark Annear said the pub had seen a 30% increase in trade after extensive national coverage of its win in 2019.
He added: “Winning the Great British Pub of the Year gave us more PR than anything else we’ve been involved in.
“When I got back from picking up the award in 2019, the BBC and ITV had already been in. It was a real festival atmosphere when I got home, everyone was celebrating. It was a proper party!”
Annear added he title had helped the business navigate through lockdown: “It really set us up well going into Covid.
“We worked within every Covid restriction. We weren’t closed a single day, we were open the whole time.”
The Great British Pub Awards 2025 will take place on Wednesday 24 September at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
