Returning this January, the competition is open to members and non-members of the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) alike, including managers, lessees, tenants and free traders, with entrants from all areas of the industry.
LOYA has a four-month judging process, after which a winner will be crowned at the BII Summer Event on Tuesday 20 June 2023.
Each stage gives entrants a chance to evaluate their business, using free mystery customer visits and feedback from industry experts.
BII chief executive Steve Alton said LOYA aimed to recognise the best from the sector, with industry professionals and operators leading the judging to ensure the standard of finalists goes from strength to strength.
Combatting challenges
This year the competition will look at how licensees have diversified their businesses as they faced the challenges for our industry in recent times, as well as the positive impact they have on their teams and communities, he added.
Licensees can either nominate themselves or be nominated by colleagues, customers or suppliers.
To enter, licensees must have been operating their business for a minimum of two years, hold a Personal Licence and have a food hygiene rating of four or five at their venue.
Last year's winners Amanda and Nick Hemming from the Heron Inn, Malpas, Cornwall said winning the award had been a “huge moral boost” for the team.
Huge moral boost
“The competition was an eye-opener for us,” they continued. “It makes you really assess your business. It was good fun to feel part of something bigger and the Summer Event itself was great.”
Nominations will close on Monday 27 February 2023.
Alton said: “The whole team are looking forward to once again meeting the very best licensees, discovering how they continue to grow and adapt their businesses as they look to the future.”
Operators can nominate themselves or be nominated by others on the BII website here.
