Meeting the challenges of living up to my BII award

08-Jun-2014 - Last updated on 09-Jun-2014 at 16:04 GMT

Lee Price: "The BII’s LOYA programme certainly lived up to its reputation as the most rigorous and thorough in the sector"

I’ve been taking a lot of flack from regulars about my acceptance speech to a roomful of industry professionals at London’s Grosvenor Hotel after winning the BII Licensee of the Year award (LOYA). “No speeches, thanks,” was host John Inverdale’s opening. Then he moved the goalposts.

I wanted to make it clear that I’m fortunate to be supported by a rock-like spouse and reliable and valued team, who have given me solid ground on which to build.

I’m genuinely flattered and immensely proud to have won “the highest accolade the industry can bestow on a licensee”. It’s a pat on the back for unwavering commitment to excellence, hours of hard work and passion.

I forgot to thank the stars of Cheers. And my father, for introducing me to the American TV sitcom that ignited the bar-room fire in my boyhood belly.

Duty

BII chief executive Tim Hulme said I had proven myself to be at “the top of the tree”. Wow! So what happens next? Well, I guess I haven’t reached the top of the highest one.

There’s plenty more to learn and achieve. I feel an overwhelming sense of duty to help secure the longevity of an industry I love, and would gladly go to the wall for it.

The BII LOYA process made me appreciate how far I’d progressed from the temporary Christmas bar job I began in December 1995, and my thoughts turned to how much sooner I may have arrived if I’d had a mentor who knew their stuff.

An exciting affiliation with the BII’s new Club LOYA will hopefully offer previous winners and me a satisfying opportunity to pass on valuable knowledge and industry experience to the next generation of responsible licensees, and raise the metaphorical bar.

It’s all about moving the trade higher up the ladder on that list of credible careers, outranking chirpy debt-collectors in the laughter league, and rising above trashing toilets for kicks on Saturday nights.

Motivation

Overall, BII’s LOYA programme certainly lived up to its reputation as “the most rigorous and thorough in the sector”, and it is also a must-do self-assessment for any serious-minded publican. Enjoy the sense of motivation that springs from your knowledge and wisdom, and fervently fill in the blanks.

It may not suit the faint-hearted, but it guarantees an enjoyable rollercoaster of uncontrollable emotion.

During the judging process I was very unsure of what people thought of me. I was convinced that the BII’s Stephen Brook was entirely unimpressed with me but at its annual lunch, he screamed “You were ******* fantastic!”

And I felt certain the PMA would never ask me to write for the magazine...

Lee Price is the BII Licensee of the Year 2014 and general manager of the Royal Pier in Aberystwyth