BII Announces Finalists For 2009 Licensee Of The Year Competition
Released
03/02/2009
Summary
The licensed retail industry perches on the edge of its seat as BII announces the six finalists in the 2009 BII Licensee of the Year Award.
All sixteen semi-finalists have been visited by the judges John Vereker CMBII and John Sharratt who, after much deliberation, have narrowed them down to six. The finalists are spread far and wide throughout the UK – including one in Northern Ireland.
The final six now face a challenging series of panel interviews in London this month and only one will pass muster to be crowned the 2009 BII Licensee of the Year. The name of the winning licensee will remain a closely guarded secret until the night of the glittering Publican awards in central London on 24th March 2009.
The finalists are:
- Paul Mallon from Laverys Bar in Belfast
- Philip Davison FBII from The Sun in the Wood in Ashmore Green, Newbury, Berkshire
- David Deacon FBII & Kate Deacon FBII from the Shoulder of Mutton in Kirkby Overblow, North Yorkshire
- Ashley McCarthy MBII and Kelly McCarthy from Ye Old Sun Inn in Colton, near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
- Darran Lingley MBII from the Five Bells in Colne Engaine, Colchester, Essex
- John McKitterick FBII from The Atlantic Hotel in St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly
The winner of BII Licensee of the Year enjoys national “celebrity” status for the year of their reign and benefits from extensive local, national and trade publicity. The prize also includes £1,000 prize money to donate to their chosen charity and a case of wine to auction for charity, courtesy of award sponsor Matthew Clark.
BII director of marketing Sue Medhurst ABII commented: “Each of these finalists truly deserves to reach this stage of the competition and I know that choosing a winner will be a difficult decision. We wish them all the very best of luck and look forward to celebrating the successes of the 2009 BII Licensee of the Year.”
Graham Donald, marketing director for Matthew Clark, added: “The BII Licensee of the Year Award rewards excellence in our industry by recognising the hard work, dedication and great pride that exists in many businesses within the licensed trade. This stage of the competition is very exciting and I say it every year but I’m always extremely impressed with the standard of entries – and 2009 is no exception. Good luck to our finalists.”
Finalist websites for more information:
www.shoulderatkirkbyoverblow.com
Contact
Joanna Buston
Email: joannab@bii.org
Telephone: 01276 417863
