The event was held at the First Direct Bank Arena in Leeds on Wednesday 24 September, hosted by comedian Seann Walsh and The Morning Advertiser (The MA) editor Ed Bedington.
It may have only been just over a week since the glittering ceremony, but winners have already seen the benefits.
Nigel Smith, who runs the 2025 Best Country Pub, the Fleece Inn, Northamptonshire, told The MA, which organises the awards, trade following the event was up 20%.
Smith added he had been surprised by the volume of visitors and well wishers at the Fleece.
He continued: “We have been very busy for the time of year, with growth in double figures against last year. It’s a slow burner though, and I’m sure we will continue to gain benefit over the next year and beyond.
“It felt amazing to have been recognised for something we love to do. Winning is a great honour, and also a responsibility to fly the flag for the great British country pub. We will be working even harder to be worthy of the title in the weeks and months to come.”
Pinnacle Beer & Gin Hall in Leeds City Centre was crowned Best Pub for Sport.
More determined
Senior marketing and sales manager Olivia Kendall told The MA the title had put the Pinnacle on people’s radar and boosted midweek trade.
Kendall explained the Tuesday after the awards alone saw the Pinnacle take £3,388.10, which was “significantly up” from the same day last year.
She continued: “It’s really encouraging to see more people choosing Pinnacle as their go-to destination for sport and entertainment.
“We’ve worked so hard to re-establish Pinnacle as the go-to destination for sport, and to be recognised on such a huge stage is overwhelming.
“The number of people reaching out, visiting, and choosing us as their first choice for sport has gone beyond what we expected.”
The marketing and sales manager added the success had made the team “even more determined” to keep building momentum and raising the bar.
Meanwhile the Myrtle Tavern, also in Leeds, which won Best Pub Garden in 2024 and 2025, saw a 25% uptick in trade following last year’s win.
Operator Scott Westlake said receiving the awards two years in a row was “one of the best moments” of his life, particularly as the event was held in the pub’s hometown.
Meanwhile, Phil Sutton, who owns the Perry Hill pub in East London, which took the title for Best Pub for Families, told The MA the pub had been so busy in the week since the awards the business was recruiting more staff.
Website traffic for the Perry Hill spiked by 400% in the days following the awards, with bookings and enquiries coming in from further afield than normal, Sutton said.
On top of a 20% uplift in trade, the pub also appeared on national TV and radio in the days following the award.
Sense of pride
Sutton added: “It was a bit of a shock at first [to win] and took a while to sink in. We’re just chuffed that all the hard work of the whole team has been recognised with this award.
“We really do put families of all shapes and sizes at the heart of everything we do and are always trying to get better.”
Best Community Pub winner, Chaplin’s & The Cellar Bar in Bournemouth, saw a similar lift in trade, with food sales having been particularly strong.
Owner Harry Seccombe told The MA: “The response has been overwhelming. Our regulars have been delighted, but what’s surprised me most is the number of new people coming through the doors because they saw the news. It shows the award’s reach and has brought a sense of pride that goes wider than we expected.
“You can feel it in the atmosphere – people want to be part of it. And because it’s a community award, there’s this sense that it belongs to everyone, not just to us. That makes the celebrations feel very genuine, it’s everyone’s award.”
After coming close to winning in 2024, the Keynsham Courtyard in Bristol saw success this year and was awarded Best Pub for Entertainment.
Licensee Rob Moore advised other operators considering entering the awards, be it for the first or the third time, to “stick at it”.
He told The MA: “The benefits have already started to show in the brief time since it happened.
“We’ve been finalists before and [when you don’t win], it’s quite disappointing, but it drives you to do better and be better, which is what we’ve consistently done every year.
“We’ve always tried to go that one step further to try and really push ourselves to our limits. So I would say in that regard, the best thing about about entering awards is it pushes you to work at your absolute best."
