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16th January 2023

BII Licensee of the Year Award launches for 2023

The BII is delighted to announce that entries are now open for the 2023 BII Licensee of the Year award, sponsored by Sky.

It has never been more important to celebrate and recognise the tenacity, drive and determination of the people at the heart of the licensed trade, and the huge impact they have at the heart of their communities.

Returning this January, the competition is open to members and non-members of the BII alike, whether they are managers, lessees, tenants or free traders, with entrants from all areas of the industry.

LOYA is renowned in the industry as the toughest competition of its kind, with a rigorous four month judging process, culminating in the crowning of the winner at the prestigious BII Summer Event on Tuesday 20th June 2023. Every stage of the competition gives entrants an opportunity to evaluate their business, using the free mystery customer visits and feedback from the expert judging team of industry professionals.

Licensees can either nominate themselves or be nominated by colleagues, customers or suppliers on the BII website here. Entrants must have been operating their business for a minimum of 2 years, hold a Personal Licence and have a food hygiene rating of 4 or 5 at their venue.

The 2022 winners, Amanda & Nick Hemming from The Heron Inn, are fantastic operators, demonstrating excellence and innovation across all areas of their business.

Speaking about winning in 2022, Amanda & Nick commented: “Winning LOYA 2022 has been a huge morale boost for the whole team. The competition was an eye-opener for us, it makes you really assess your business. It was good fun to feel part of something bigger and the Summer Event itself was great.”

Steven Alton, CEO of the BII:

“LOYA recognises the best of the best from our sector, with key industry experts and operators leading the judging to ensure the standard of finalists goes from strength to strength. 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.

“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.”

Nominate or Enter Now!

Nominations are now open, closing on Monday 27th February 2023. Visit the LOYA pages on the BII’s website for more information, or contact the LOYA team on loya@bii.org


Press release from the BII.

For further information please contact Molly Davis, Head of Communications, molly.davis@bii.org