Stonegate Pub Company was voted the Best Operator for Training by the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) Scotland in its annual awards ceremony recently. The company was presented with the award at a glittering ceremony which took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow.
The BII Scotland Awards recognise and reward those in licensed hospitality who have demonstrated excellence in their field. The awards were hosted by Jennifer Reoch, popular STV presenter and partner of BII Scotland. The award was presented to Stonegate by Aileen Macdonald from CPLTraining.
Commenting on why Stonegate stood out, the judges said: “With the quality of training and development in our industry getting stronger and stronger all the time, this category was special.
“It was an extremely difficult category to judge, however, Stonegate’s commitment to operator training and driving internal succession is outstanding. The way staff and teams are able to articulate the career pathways they are on, and the extensive level of engagement Stonegate has achieved across its sites in Scotland, is something for others to aspire to.”
In response to the award win, Lee Woolley, Head of Learning and Organisational Development, said: “It is always great to receive award recognition, it is confirmation that we are doing the right things and going in the right direction. We are extremely proud of our 50+ Scottish sites and the wonderful teams who run these fabulous businesses, giving them development opportunities and seeing them grow in to even better leaders continues to drive our Bar to Boardroom philosophy.”
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Editor’s notes
About Stonegate Pub Company
Stonegate Pub Company is the largest privately held managed pub operator in the UK, with revenues in excess of £800m and we employ over 14,000 people. The company has 772 pubs, split into two divisions, Branded, comprising: Slug & Lettuce, Walkabout, Be At One, Venues; and Traditional comprising: Proper Pubs, Town Pub & Kitchen, Classic Inns and Common Room.
Our ‘bar to boardroom’ training ethos has resulted in the following national awards, including:
2019 – BII Scotland Awards – Best Operator for Training
2019 – Ian Payne MBE, Lifetime Achievement Award, Retailers Retailer of the Year; Investor of the Year TDR Capital, Retailers Retailer of the Year
2019 – Two Menu Innovation & Development Awards (MIDAS): Slug & Lettuce best menu – Premium High Street Pub; Walkabout best menu -Town & City Pub
2019 – Publican Awards (five awards): Best Community Pub Operator, Best Pub Employer (501+ employees), Best Managed Pub Company (51+ sites), Best Drinks Offer, Business Leader of the Year – Chief Executive, Simon Longbottom
2018 – Late Night Awards – Best Service & Team Development and Best Late Night Company
2018 – Licensed Trade Charity – Outstanding Corporate Contribution Award
2018 – Great British Pub Awards (two awards) – Best LGTBQ+ and Best Sports Pub
2018 – APPBG PUBAID Corporate Charity Fundraiser Award
2018 – Publican Awards – Best Late Night Operator
2017 – Great British Pub Awards (three awards) – Best Pub Garden, Best Entertainment and Best Sports Pub
2017 – Publican Awards (two awards) – Best Managed Pub Company; and Best Late Night Operator (plus highly commended Best Employer)
2017 – Menu Innovation and Development Award (MIDAS) – Premium High Street Pub (TPK)
2017 – Retailers’ Retailer Award – Investor of the Year (TDR Capital)
2016 – BII National Industry Training Awards (NITA) (two awards) – Best Managed Company for Training; Lifetime Achievement Award for Chairman, Ian Payne
2016 – Great British Pub Awards – Best Sports Pub
2016 – Scottish Training Federation – Best Large Employer
2016 – HR Excellence Awards – Best Learning and Development Strategy
2016 – HR Distinction Awards (two awards) – Innovation for Digital & Social Media; People Development
2014 – (Three awards) – HR Distinction in Innovative Use of Technology; Publican – Business Leader of the Year, Chairman Ian Payne; MIDAS Best New Concept Missoula, Montana Bar & Grill
2013 – (Two awards) – Publican award Best Pub Employer; MIDAS City and Bar Dining award Slug and Lettuce
Further information:
Poppy Kelham
t: 020 8605 3544
m: 07753 838490
e: poppykelham@leisurepr.co.uk