BII Announces Finalists For 2010 Licensee Of The Year Competition

Released

13/04/2010

Summary

The licensed retail industry perches on the edge of its seat as BII announces the six finalists in the 2010 BII Licensee of the Year Award. All semi-finalists have been visited by the judges John Vereker CBII and John Sharratt CBII who, after much deliberation, have narrowed them down to six. The finalists are spread far and wide throughout the UK.

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 2010 BII Licensee of the Year. The name of the winning licensee will remain a closely guarded secret until BII’s Annual Lunch on Tuesday 11 May 2010 at Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

The finalists are:

  • Nigel & Sue Anstead FBII from The White Horse, in Bedford
  • Mark Barton MBII from the Taychreggan Hotel & Restaurant in Dundee
  • Darran Lingley MBII from the Five Bells in Colne Engaine, Colchester, Essex
  • Lucy and Mark Barron-Reid MBII from The Bull at Benenden, in Benenden, Kent
  • Gerry Price FBII from The Inn @ West End, in West End, Woking, Surrey
  • Richard & Loren Pope from The Bulls Head, in Repton, Derbyshire

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.

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 2010 BII Licensee of the Year.”

Neil Robertson, BII Chief Executive added “These finalists are at the top of their game, and with the challenging circumstances the industry face, it’s a very difficult game to be at the top of. Yet again it’s great to see such a high standard of finalists.”