The deadline for the John Smith’s Great British Pub Awards has been extended by a week to 25 May, giving operators throughout the country a few more days to polish up their entries for the industry’s leading awards.
Ed Bedington, editor of The Morning Advertiser, which organises the awards, said: “Entering these awards is a great opportunity for all pub operators, and we want to give as many of you the chance to get your entries into us as possible.
“These are the leading awards of their kind and we’ve been running them for 18 years now. It’s all about celebrating the great diversity that we see in the pub sector and finding the businesses that are really driving the industry forward."
Top award
He added: “If you think you’ve got a great operation, then what are you waiting for? Tell us about it, and you could be in the running for a top award.”
The Great British Pub Awards, which are sponsored by John Smith’s along with Admiral, Booker/Makro, Ei Group, Diageo and Sky, will give pubs the opportunity to compete across 17 different categories, with the introduction of a new LGBTQ+ bar category. We’ll also be holding a Chef of the Year and Young Chef of the Year competition in association with Booker Makro.
The categories include:
- Best Beer Bar/Pub
- Best Cider Bar/Pub
- Best Community Pub, sponsored by Admiral Taverns
- Best Family Pub
- Best Food Pub, sponsored by Booker/Makro
- Best Freehouse
- Best Inn
- Best Live Entertainment Pub
- Best Managed Pub
- Best Newcomer
- Best Partnership Pub, sponsored by Ei Group
- Best Pub Garden
- Best Spirits Bar/Pub, sponsored by Diageo
- Best Sports Pub - Sky
- Best LGBTQ+ Bar/Pub
- Best Turnaround Pub
- Best Wine Bar/Pub
- Chef of the Year, sponsored by Booker/Makro
- Young Chef of the Year, sponsored by Booker/Makro
The winners of each of the 17 categories will then go onto compete for the overall title of John Smith’s Great British Pub of the Year.
Simple entry
Bedington added: “There’s nothing to lose by entering this year - the entry process is fully online and quite simple in the initial stages - just make sure you get across why your pub stands out.
“The rewards for getting further in the competition and potentially winning are numerous and we’ve seen a number of previous winners who have given their business a significant boost in recognition and turnover - so get entering now!”
Initial entry to the awards closes on 25 May, and you can enter online at www.greatbritishpubawards.co.uk.
This year sees a change of venue for the event, and will see the competition culminate in a night of celebration at the stunning Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on 6 September.