Craft Union Pub Company
It’s been another strong and strategically successful year for Craft Union, part of Stonegate Group, with its operations team at the nucleus of the ongoing success of this now more than650 sites operator-led business.
The operations team is vital to the success of Craft Union’s self-employed managed structure, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with operators and supporting them to maximise the potential of their businesses as well as help navigate challenges. Its disciplined yet flexible approach, combining data-driven performance monitoring with hands-on support, impactful campaigns and a multitude of business tools, enables them to help operators meet the needs of local markets and drive profits for both.
Craft Union’s sustained like-for-like sales growth, great operator retention levels, strong team engagement scores, impactful recruitment initiatives, including driving now record enquiry levels to take Craft Union businesses on, are just some of the notable successes its passionate operations team, led by managing director Frazer Grimbleby, have helped drive in the past year.
Anglian Country Inns
The central support team at independent, family-owned business Anglian Country Inns (ACI) is key to the ongoing success of the ten-strong group, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
ACI has come a long way since founder/chairman Cliff Nye saw potential in a run-down inn on the north Norfolk coast and opened the still thriving White Horse at Brancaster Staithe, now operating ten highly successful sites across Norfolk and Hertfordshire.
The business, which is now led by Cliff’s sons (managing director James and operations director Howard) has an operationally diverse estate, including an award-winning wedding/events venue, high street coffee shop, village pub with a bakery/coffee shop and open-air dining and bar space ‘Marshside’ at the White Horse.
ACI’s mission is to make people happy, with its team at the heart of this key focus of the central support team, and they certainly seem to be achieving this - being named one of CODE Hospitality’s Happiest Places to Work 2025 and winner of Best Employer in the Publican Awards 2025.
Hickory’s Smokehouse
Fast-growing Hickory’s Smokehouse, which was founded in 2010 in Chester and has been owned by Greene King since 2022 (but has very much retained its own identity) has seen significant expansion to its operations team in the past year. This central growth has helped maintain the brand’s magic and people-focused culture as Hickory’s continues to grow at around ten sites a year.
This Southern USA inspired business, which now has 37 sites and won Best Pub Employer and Best Pub Brand/Concept in these awards last year, is led by managing director John Welsh, who helps drive a small business mentality with a big business approach across the ops team.
Its operational structure, including operations chefs and area managers who are capped at looking after five sites, enables the business to be into the detail whilst prioritising its ongoing excellent team and guest experience.
Its ops team also drive a strong consultative culture of support and connection with team members, whilst also empowering them to drive their own ideas.
Proper Pubs
Its operations team are the backbone of success at Proper Pubs, the community-focused, operator managed division of Admiral Taverns.
The business, which has new managing director Nathan Wall and operations directors Matt Gurney and Nikki Greenhalgh at the helm, continues to deliver a strong ongoing financial performance, including strong like-for-like sales growth, as well as ongoing expansion with now 219 sites.
Its BDM team have the trust and autonomy to work with operators to action what is right for each business, including capex projects and driving innovation, with best practice continually shared across the business.
The ops team also help inspire the pubs’ strong community engagement, including significant charity fundraising, such as food bank support and a pub-wide defibrillator installation programme, and community hero’s awards.
The well-supported ops team also drives the strong ‘one-team’ culture at Proper Pubs as well a range of impactful reward and recognition initiatives.