BII Licensee of the Year announced

The Brewers beat a shortlist of six licensees, including Top 50 Gastropubs licensee Andrew Fishwick of London's the Truscott Arms, and winner of the Great British Pub of the Year, Glen Pearson of the Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax.

The judges commended them for their enthusiasm and experience and said they 'went above and beyond to differentiate their offering'. 

Judges were also impressed with the licensees knowledge on subjects such as the National Living Wage and training.

The Rashleigh Arms, which aims to be a destination pub in Cornwall, has a strong food offering alongside ales - the latter of which make up more than a quarter of the drinks offer.

Rob Brewer said: "We are so proud to be the winners of the Licensee of the Year Awards, especially as a Cornish pub. I think the number one economy in Cornwall is based around tourism, bringing people into the county to come and visit us. So anything that we can do that helps promote that I think is a massive plus."

Lucy Brewer said: "We also hope successes such as ours help get people into the industry. We're up to a 50-strong team now so we hope this kind of recognition will encourage people to consider working in hospitality and staying as well. But primarily, we hope our award win and exposure from attending industry events to commentate on issues that matter to the South West, will help boost Cornwall's tourism and economy."

BII CEO, Mike Clist, said:‘We were really impressed by Rob and Lucy as a shining example of running a licensed establishment. As well as enthusiasm and passion for the Great British pub industry, they’re also very involved in their local community making them a social hub for the picturesque seaside village of Charlestown.

‘The new format, introduced this year, whereby third parties can nominate deserving licensees, has proved a real success with the majority of finalists, including Rob and Lucy, being nominated by others which is a testament to their efforts. We want to congratulate all six licensees shortlisted as they all demonstrated a high level of skill and knowledge that showed why they’re leaders in the industry.

"We will continue to support all six finalists and are looking forward to seeing their businesses grow even further.’