Finalists from across the pub company’s 1,300-strong estate will attend a night of celebration and recognition at the firm’s headquarters in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
Next month (Monday 27 April), Punch’s Public House will be created to provide the venue to welcome more than 200 publicans, management partners, suppliers and special guests.
The ceremony will start with bubbles and canapés served by the Punch executive team.
Varied categories
TV personality Mark Durden-Smith will host and unveil the winners across nine categories before the Publican of the Year 2026 is crowned.
The categories are:
- Best Drinks Offer
- Best Food Offer
- Best Newcomer
- Doing Well, By Doing Good Award
- Best Pub Entertainment & Sport
- Community Pub of the Year
- Locals Pub Award
- Fireside Pub Award
- Unity Social Pub Award
Punch shared the finalists on social media:
Celebrating excellence
Punch CEO Andy Spencer said: “We’re incredibly excited for this year’s Publican of the Year awards, which promises to be a fantastic night celebrating excellence across our pub estate.
“It is always an honour to be surrounded by and shine a light on the incredible publicans and management partners who help to inspire those moments in our pubs and in the heart of their communities every single day.
“We’re proud to stand beside them and celebrate everything they’ve achieved, partnering with them to create the UK’s five-star pub company.”
Previous winners included Richard Gordon and Sonya Harvey of the Red Lion in Cranford who took the ultimate crown of Publicans of the Year in 2024.
The duo were praised for their remarkable ability to adapt, grow and thrive through any challenge alongside their brilliance, described by Spencer as “proud leaders of a business that delivers an exceptional experience for their guests and stands as a beacon of inspiration for all of us”.
