Proper Pubs Honours Community Champions at Annual Awards Gala

Proper Pubs, the award-winning community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, celebrated the outstanding achievements of its pub operators at its ‘Proper Pubs Awards Gala’, held in Chesterfield on Thursday 30th July 2026.

The annual awards gala brought together operators from across Proper Pubs’ estate of more than 200 pubs in England, Scotland and Wales, recognising those who have gone above and beyond for their communities over the past year.

Eleven prestigious awards were presented on the night, with the overall ‘Proper Pub of the Year’ title going to the Y Pentan in Mold, which also took home the ‘Sales Performance Pub of the Year’ award.

The full list of winners is as follows:

• Proper Pubs Pub of the Year, Y Pentan in Mold

• New Proper Pub of the Year, Empire in Grimsby

• New Operator of the Year, Travellers Rest in Featherstone

• Sports Pub of the Year, Parkhall Tavern in Mansfield — Highly Commended, Queens Park Café in Glasgow

• Marketing and Events Pub of the Year, Mitre in Chorley — Highly Commended, Queens in Bredbury

• Community Pub of the Year, Ashmore in Wolverhampton — Highly commended, Rhoden in Oswaldtwistle

• The Gold Standard (Audit) Pub of the Year, Princes Feathers in Hinkley

• Sales Performance Pub of the Year, Y Pentan in Mold

• Entertainment Pub of the Year, Pineapple in Shaw — Highly Commended, Town Hall Tavern in Oldham

• Gaming Pub of the Year, Wonder in Tividale

• Outstanding Achievement Award, Annie Kane, Queens Park Café and Victoria in Glasgow

Nathan Wall, Managing Director of Proper Pubs, commented:

“Our pubs sit at the cornerstone of their local communities, providing a space for people to connect and come together to support good causes. Our operators go above and beyond every day. Not only do they run exceptional pubs, but they are also community heroes who champion local good causes and host events that bring people together. These awards are a fantastic way to celebrate the dedication, innovation and community spirit shown by our operators, who embody the very best of the great British local.

I am incredibly proud of everything our teams have achieved this year, and it has been an honour to celebrate them through these awards. Each winner and highly commended pub is a testament to the passion, commitment and hard work required to run successful pubs that are also thriving community pubs. I would like to once again congratulate all our winners and highly commended pubs, and I’d also like to extend my thanks to every single operator across our estate for your tireless work in making Proper Pubs such a special part of people’s lives.”

Proper Pubs is always looking for ways to support its communities through an annual schedule of events and fundraising initiatives. This year over Easter it collected 21,619 Easter eggs donated to local charities and in 2025 operators collected 17,500 selection boxes to donate to local charities and communities in need for Christmas, as well as raising £80,255 for Admiral Taverns’ charity partner, Claire House Hospice.

Furthermore, last year, Proper Pubs also successfully donated enough food to local foodbanks across the UK to feed 1,300 people for a week and has also been recognised in the UK-wide defibrillator installation campaign which has already saved 11 lives.

In 2026, Proper Pubs was listed as a finalist in the Best Community Pub category at the Great British Publican Awards and was previously crowned Community Pub Operator at the Publican Awards in 2024. Proper Pubs is committed to supporting operators to run successful pubs with sustainable, long-term futures. The best operators are passionate about pubs and eager to play a central role in their local communities. With a diverse range of pubs available across the UK, Proper Pubs is always looking for talented people who are ready to take the next step and run their own pub.

Operating as a true partnership, running a Proper Pub gives people the chance to manage and shape the day-to-day operations of the pub with the security of being part of the Admiral Taverns group and the expert support from dedicated Business Development Managers.

For many, it’s an opportunity not just to take on a pub, but to build a long-term career they are passionate about.

Notes to Editors

Admiral Taverns (“Admiral”) is the UK’s number one community pub group. Headquartered in Chester; the Group operates a national estate of c.1,365 predominantly wet-led community pubs. Admiral’s unique operational approach has earnt industry recognition with the Group winning Best Community Pub Operator at the 2024 Publican Awards, whilst also being shortlisted for Best Partnership Pub Company (501+ Sites). In 2019, 2016 and 2013, Admiral Taverns won Best Leased and Tenanted Pub Company at the Publican Awards and ranked highly commended as Best Community Pub Operator in 2017. The Group has also been consistently highly rated by licensees in the industry’s independent annual Tenant Track survey, exceeding the scores of all its national peers.

For more information:

Brand Potential

Polly Clarke/Amy Keane/Sarah Patton

+44 (0) 204 529 0549

admiral@brandpotential.com

Third-party news items are published as received for informational purposes. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Guild. Please use the contact details within the post for any enquiries.