Welcome

andrew pring: editor, morning advertiser

Tonight is a cause for celebration for all the award-winning licensees who now enter the Morning Advertiser's hall of fame. The competition to enter the hall of fame has never been more intense than this year and a record number of entries were processed before the winners were finally selected. Therefore, everyone here tonight can be justifiably proud of his or her achievements.

The rising importance of the Pub Awards is not only reflected by the increasing number of entries, but also by the prestige attached to being a winner.

To be judged top of the class by your peers is one of the highest accolades that anyone can aspire to, but it also has other benefits.

Previous winners speak freely of the increased trade that results from the good publicity attached to their success. Winners also report an improvement in staff morale with employees taking immense pride in working for a top pub, not just for job satisfaction, but also for enhancing their career prospects.

These awards are being presented at what must be one of the most testing times for the licensed trade. We have only just got over the changes brought about by the new Licensing Act. We now face the uncertainty that the smoking ban will bring when it comes into force in five months time in England and two months time in Wales. The pub industry has also been charged, in a grossly unfair and inaccurate way, with encouraging binge drinking.

We all hope that the kudos attached to winning a Pub Award will bring in extra trade and help mitigate the effects of these attacks on the industry and its

livelihood.

No mention of the awards would be complete without highlighting the extremely difficult task faced by the judges. Apart from the record number of entries - up by 20% on last year - the judges had the additional challenge of assessing entries that were of a consistently high standard. The difficulty in deciding which pubs should go on the shortlist was compounded by the diversity of the entrants.

It is a truism that every pub around the country is unique, as are the people running them. Moreover, pubs vary in size, ownership, location, the degree of competition, and the level of services on offer. Although the judging was difficult, it did show that despite all the pressure, Britain has a rich pub heritage that is in good hands.

For the first time this year, the eight pubs receiving the accolade of best pub in their region will each receive a cash prize of £1,000 to help them celebrate their achievement. And the supreme champion from these eight will receive an additional £4,000.

The success of the Pub Awards would not be possible without the help and support of all the sponsors. Every sponsor has devoted considerable time, effort and money to ensure that the awards are a success. Therefore, on a final note, we would like to salute all the sponsors.