Winner of the 2008 BII Licensee of the Year Award sponsored by Matthew Clark
19-Mar-2008
Chris Lewis of The Swan in Stafford has been announced the 2008 BII Licensee of the Year – officially making him
Until Tuesday 18th March, the winner of this much-celebrated title was a closely guarded secret and all six finalists were invited to attend the glittering Publican Awards evening at the Grosvenor House hotel in
The Licensee of the Year award is organised by BII, the professional body for the licensed retail sector, and BII Chief Executive John McNamara congratulated Chris on his outstanding success in the industry to date. John commented: “Chris is an excellent example of an astute and highly successful businessman who knows just how to maximise his entrepreneurial flair to the advantage of himself, his customers and the 230 staff in his employ.”
Chris, who turns 40 this year, purchased The Swan in 2003 from Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) when it was in need of some TLC and averaging below £5,000 per week. He and his wife Dawn gutted the building and built an attractive 32-room hotel with an 80 seat brasserie. They also established a comfortable and female-friendly courtyard bar, a contemporary cocktail bar and a coffee shop to complete the leisure offering. Chris has returned his initial investment at The Swan – and then some – and the business now nets annual sales of £2.4m.
The Swan is just one of Chris’ business ventures and, under the banner of The Lewis Partnership, sits alongside The Moat House – a small bar, restaurant and 40 bedroom hotel – and The Bear pub. He has also recently acquired the lease of a nearby bakers which he is re-opening as a deli selling local produce.
John McNamara continued: “Chris stands out as a highly impressive operator who is strongly committed to quality training. He has taken the lead in promoting a responsible attitude to licensed retailing by putting all his bar staff through BIIAB's Award in Responsible Alcohol Retailing and also giving talks in local schools on responsible retailing from both the career and the consumer perspective.
“Chris is committed to his own continual professional development and has demonstrated a clear vision to succeed, as well as showing he will be a great ambassador for both the industry and BII. He is already active on the West Midlands council of BII and is also a founder member of Stafford Pubwatch, liaising with
Chris received £1000 in prize money and he now has the opportunity to use the exclusive 2008 BII Licensee of the Year logo, and the status associated with winning, to maximum effect. Chris and his businesses will also benefit from extensive publicity throughout the year and there will be opportunities for him to build his profile on the back of his association with BII – and his recognition as the best in the industry.
Robin Knapp, Wine Director for award sponsor Matthew Clark, said: “We are very proud to sponsor this award as not only is it the most sought-after among publicans, it gives us an opportunity to reward the hard work and dedication in the trade.
“All finalists had clearly worked hard to offer customers a great experience and take pride in their business, making this a closely contested title. But there could only be one winner and we would like to pass on our congratulations to Chris from The Swan. He demonstrated that he has a real commitment to quality training, which not only benefits his staff but ultimately his customers, so very well done.”
| michellel@bii.org | |
| Contact | Michelle Luscombe Corporate Communications Manager 01276 417863 |
