GBPA winners donate £15k to good causes

This year’s event aimed to showcase how key pubs were to communities in the first lockdown and winners claimed crowns across the country.

This year has been one of, if not, the hardest for the trade and the likes of celebrity chef and licensee Tom Kerridge has highlighted the plight pubs face even before the pandemic hit.

GBPA finalists were shortlisted by a team of industry judges, from a field of more than 650 entries, before being put to the public vote to decide our final winners with more than 65,000 people voting for their winning pubs.

Giving back

All winners were eligible to apply for grant funding thanks to Coca-Cola, for £1,000 towards a charity of their choice and a further £10,000 to be put towards a business improvement or community project in their area.

The special Community Pub Fund of £165,000 was shared between the 15 winners as a thank you for supporting communities during the pandemic and help give their businesses a bit more of a boost.

The first phase of the funding has seen each winner select a local good cause to receive a £1,000 donation.

Coca-Cola European Partners vice president Rob Harris said: “It is amazing to hear a number of the Great British Pub Award winners have brought back the services they provided during the first national lockdown, to provide lifelines for local people once again."

“It is so important we tell these stories and celebrate the role they and so many others, play in communities all over the country.

“As soon as venues are allowed to open again, we want people to help them rebuild their businesses by paying them a visit and continuing to support them.”

Enhancing services

A number of the pubs chosen donated to local community groups, charities they already had relationships with and those that were close to their hearts.

The remaining £150,000 of the Coca-Cola Community Pub Fund will be shared among the 15 GBPA winners to help fund improvements to their venues or initiatives in the local community.

The pubs have submitted applications for up to £10,000 each, which will go towards projects including enhancing outdoor spaces and overnight accommodation, décor and AV upgrades.

Harris said: “We hope the £10,000 grants will help these pubs and bars build resilience and flexibility into their businesses, by strengthening relationships with their customers and enhancing the services and facilities they can offer.

“We are proud to be playing a small part in their journey as they begin to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Coca-Cola Community Pub Fund is part of a £20m support package from our business that has helped thousands of other operators mitigate the impact of the coronavirus, helping them reopen their doors when it has been safe to do so.”