Ashley and Kelly McCarthy, who run Ye Old Sun Inn in Colton, North Yorkshire, said they were looking forward to being part of the process of change that the BII is going through under new chairman Tim Hulme.
“Tim’s got a vision, and we want to be a part of that,” said Ashley. “We’ll do our best to highlight the good parts of the BII, and what the organisation actually stands for.”
The McCarthys were awarded the prestigious title after developing an award-winning food offer, as well as holding regular cookery demos, food workshops and community and charity nights.
Ashley added: “We were up for the award in 2009, but we’ve realised we weren’t quite ready. Back then, we thought our business was perfect, but only by taking a step back did we realise there were plenty of things we could improve.
“We didn’t have key staff in place, and we didn’t delegate well enough. You’ve got to criticise yourself —because if you don’t, someone else will do it for you. The changes we made ultimately led us to buying the freehold from Enterprise Inns.”
The licensees — who have gained an impressive 10 national and regional awards since they took over the country pub in 2004 — had to complete
a gruelling round of Q&As, site inspections and an “Apprentice-style” day of interviews in front of a panel of nine industry experts, before being selected the winner.
Ashley joked that the judging day was the worst of his life, but added it was great to meet other finalists. “It’s scary, intimidating, and you don’t know what the judges want from you. But you’ve got to be honest, even if it might not be what they want to hear.”