The Great British Pub Awards

Morning Advertiser

In April 2011 the pub trade's two best-known magazines joined forces to become a single title: The Publican's Morning Advertiser (PMA).

The new title will contain the best content of both, going forward. The new name has historical resonance - it was the original name of the Morning Advertiser when it was first published in 1794.

The PMA also now offers a portfolio of around 20 awards, events and business conferences aimed at showcasing success in the pub trade.  Our task at the PMA is a simple one - to become the industry's indispensable guide as it meets the challenge of keeping its existing customers and drawing in more. 

The Publican's Morning Advertiser published in association with its founders, The Licensed Trade Charity, is Officially Number One for the on-trade in England and Wales and has long been considered the pub trade's favourite newspaper.

The weekly diet of informative news stories, comment by leading industry figures, in-depth features and lively humour make the package a great read for licensees everywhere.

Admiral Taverns

Supporting Best Community Pub of the Year 2011

Admiral Taverns is a leading community pub group with tenanted and leased pubs throughout England and Wales. We pride ourselves on being flexible. We have a range of agreements, from fully tied to free of tie, and everything in between. We offer shorter-term tenancy-style agreements as well as longer lease-style agreements. We look to strike the right deal for the pub and our incoming pub partner.

We have a rich and diverse range of pubs, and while our estate includes just about every imaginable type of licensed premise - from roses-round-the-door country pubs to vibrant town centre bars, and from high-end food-led pubs to real ale meccas - our business is about championing the community pub - it is the heart of Admiral, and our passion.

That is why we are delighted to be partnering The Great British Pub Awards as sponsor of the Best Community Pub Award. It represents an important opportunity to recognise and reward the very best community pubs that Britain has to offer, and will serve as a timely reminder of the fantastic work that licensees do in their local communities, day in, day out. Pubs are only as good as the people that run them and we look forward to throwing a spotlight on the industry's most talented individuals.

For more information about us visit http://www.admiraltaverns.co.uk/ or call 0845 0708950

Booker

Supporting Great British Pub of the Year 2011

Booker is the UK's leading food & drink wholesaler with 172 branches nationwide serving over 459, 000 customers which include 326,000 catering businesses.  Booker currently lists over 18, 000 products covering fresh, frozen, dry goods, alcohol and tobacco and also offers internet ordering and multi-temperate delivery.  It is the UK's largest catering butcher and are happy to cut and prepare any order to the exact requirements of the customer.

Britvic Soft Drinks

Supporting Family Pub of the Year 2011

Britvic is the UK's No1 soft drinks supplier to the on-trade and one of the leading soft drinks companies in the UK and Ireland. Britvic is also the UK's largest supplier of still soft drinks and the number two supplier of branded carbonates.

Britvic has the broadest portfolio of any UK soft drinks company, offering customers and consumers unparalleled choice. With established names such as J₂0, Britvic juices and mixers, R Whites and Fruit Shoot as well as the Pepsi and 7Up brands manufactured and marketed under license from PepsiCo, our portfolio offers high brand recognition.  

In 2008 J₂0 overtook Magners to become the No1 bottled drink sold in UK pubs and bars while Pepsi consolidated its position as the UK's leading draught cola.

Budvar

Supporting Best Gastropub 2011

Once again Budweiser Budvar is sponsoring the annual hunt for the Great British Pub Awards' top gastropub

2011 will be the fifth year that Budweiser Budvar has sponsored the gastropub category in the Great British Pub Awards. During this time we have become versed in sponsor etiquette and that includes not dilating upon the unique qualities of our beers. Anyway most savvy people know that every drop of Budvar is brewed only at our own brewery in Southern Bohemia in a 100 day natural brewing cycle, using only local natural ingredients and our own spring water with wow-factor to produce the ultimate lager conditioned beers.

We also know when addressing gastropub people, that it is vulgar in the extreme to emphasise the almost unlimited food matching opportunities that Budvar Dark or Original offer. Aficionados of dishes as diverse as tapas, fish, chicken, ribs or Jamaican jerk already know that their enjoyment with these beers enhances the taste and sensory experience ten-fold.

Actually much as we love gastropubs and appreciate the way they are adding a new strand of dynamism to the pub business, that we are delighted to encourage with our sponsorship, we believe in the Great British Pub Awards so much that we would take almost any category the MA suggested to us - the best gastropod award for instance?  Watch out for the Budvar Golden Mollusc in 2011.

Carlsberg UK

Supporting Best Turnaround Pub 2011

Carlsberg UK is one of the biggest supporters of the on-trade. It has the leading beer portfolio in the UK, with flagship brands Carlsberg and Carlsberg Export, top ale brand Tetley's as well as leading world beers San Miguel and Tuborg.

Carlsberg UK's support for the on-trade centres on our unique We Deliver More (WDM) campaign which looks to help all our customers improve their businesses right across the board - from driving turnover to making better savings.

Through WDM Carlsberg UK offers licensees more business support than any other major brewer. The focus area of WDM is our online service http://www.carlsbergwedelivermore.co.uk/ where licensees can log on and pick up expert advice on how to create a better offer for consumers on their pubs.

Since its launch in 2008/9xxx We Deliver More has helped licensees save £76,000 and has given advice to hundreds of licensees, from giving them advice on pursuing rate appeals or offering excellent deals on IT and telecoms.

Carlsberg UK is not just a supplier - it is a true business partner to the trade and is helping pubs turn around their business everyday.

As a result we are delighted to be sponsor of the newest award in the Great British Pub Awards: "Best Turnaround Pub".

During these difficult economic times licensees are faced with a hugely challenging environment. Turning a pub that has fallen on hard times around takes a unique talent and we look forward to celebrating the very best of this entrepreneurial spirit in the pub awards at the awards in September.

Enterprise Inns

Supporting Best Tenated/Leased Pub 2011

Enterprise Inns are once again delighted to be sponsoring the Great British Pub Awards which gives exceptional publicans the recognition they deserve.

Our whole business is built around empowering entrepreneurial people to become great publicans.  From gastro pubs and cask ale specialists to sports venues and community pubs, the opportunities for them to enter the pub trade are endless. Through our award winning training courses, deals and coaching we enable them to make their pubs the thriving hubs of their communities.

Great publicans are the key to the future of the British pub and these awards are a fantastic chance to showcase their business, their achievements and more importantly the brilliant job they and their staff are doing day in and day out. 

If you are interested in becoming an award winning publican, please visit  http://www.enterpriseinns.com/ to see what pubs are available and to register your interest. You can also view our Code of Practice which clearly describes the relationship you will have with Enterprise Inns and outlines the training, support and deals you will receive as an Enterprise Inns publican. 

Greene King

Supporting Best Cask Beer Pub 2011

Greene King has been brewing awarding-winning, quality cask ales at the Westgate Brewery in Bury St Edmunds since 1799. Greene King's broad portfolio of well-known, much-loved brands include Greene King IPA, Old Speckled Hen and Abbot Ale.

Quality is at the heart of Greene King's brewing and their commitment to ensure the perfect pint is served in pubs goes beyond the beer leaving the brewery gates. Greene King works with organisations such as CAMRA and Cask Marque and with licensees to continually support pubs to maintain the highest standards of quality and passion for cask ale. Greene King is the first brewer in the UK to be awarded the prestigious Red Tractor certification for all their beers - a fantastic range of over 20 cask beers and 10 bottled beers.

Innserve

Supporting Best Cellar 2011

Innserve is the leading technical service provider in the UK offering in house nationwide coverage 9am to 9pm 365 days a year. In addition to our maintenance and installation offering, we have a range of products and services including bespoke & BII training courses, FGas compliance visits, cellar cooling and recently developed energy saving devices.

Innserve are delighted to be supporting the Great British Pub Awards and this award for Best Cellar is a fantastic opportunity to highlight an often overlooked but crucial part of good quality beer. Innserve make about 300,000 maintenance visits a year but we haven't had the opportunity to publically support those pubs that consistently get it right until now. We want to celebrate excellent standards in all aspects of cellar management including weekly routines, adherence to H&S and passion about serving the quality pint.

JTI

Supporting Best Smoking Area 2011

JTI and Save Our Pubs & Clubs

Launched in 2009 with the support of TV chef and publican Antony Worrall Thompson and MPs from the three main parties, the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign is a coalition of groups and individuals, including publicans, who believe that the public smoking ban is excessive and should be changed to allow separate smoking rooms.

Campaign director Simon Clark said: "The purpose of the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign is to highlight the negative impact of the smoking ban which continues to have a damaging effect on many traditional pubs and bars.

"Our goal is to persuade government to bring Britain into line with most European countries where smoking is allowed in separate smoking rooms or in dedicated smoking bars.

"At the very least we want government to amend the regulations on outdoor smoking shelters so that publicans can provide a comfortable, warm environment for customers all year round.

"Supporting this award gives us the opportunity to highlight those pubs that have gone the extra mile to accommodate customers who wish to smoke, as well as demonstrating our appreciation."

Jonathan Yajima, JTI's Head of Horeca and Vending, said, "Our aim is to help licensees improve the profitability of their business and accommodate all their customers, including the 10.5 million adult smokers in the UK.

"Therefore we are delighted to support both the Best Smoking Area award at the Morning Advertiser's Great British Pub Awards 2011 and the Save Our Pubs & Clubs campaign."

www.amendthesmokingban.com/
www.jti.com

Marstons

Supporting Best Freehouse Pub 2011

Marston's Beer Company operates five independent local breweries - Banks's brewery in Wolverhampton, Marston's brewery in Burton on Trent, Jennings brewery in Cockermouth in the Lake District, Ringwood Brewery in the New Forest, Hampshire and Wychwood brewery in Witney in Oxfordshire, we brew some of the UK's leading ales including Marston's Pedigree, Banks's Original, Brakspear Oxford Gold, Jennings Cumberland Ale, Wychwood Hobgoblin, Mansfield and Ringwood Fortyniner.

Marston's has a strong free trade customer base which it extends its full range of support, services, purchasing power and expertise to help customers grow their business. Marston's own range of locally brewed beers (16 permanent and 48 guest seasonal ales) plus an extensive competitive wholesale range of lagers, spirits, wine and soft drinks are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the company offers its free trade customers. All of the business solutions and training can be accessed through Marston's dedicated customer services team or http://www.mymarstons.co.uk/ website. These services range from a print shop for POS and promotional materials and menus, energy surveys and advice, legal help, gaming machines, competitive insurance quotes, website design tool and PR support to name a few.

For more information on stocking Marston's ales please call customer services on 0800 587 0773

Merchant Cash Express Ltd (MCE)

Supporting Best Food Pub of the Year 2011

Merchant Cash Express Ltd (MCE) provides the UK's leading Business Cash Advance service. The Business Cash Advance is a great alternative to a bank loan for ambitious Publicans, Hoteliers and Entrepreneurs of the Hospitality industry.  We provide fast working capital that is repaid using a percentage of future card sales.

Our mission is to give the smaller independent business access to the funds they need. This can be done without going through the lengthy process of applying for a bank loan or having to submit a business plan. There is no security required so business owners do not have to give up valuable assets or equity in their company to get the cash. The Business Cash Advance is designed for small to medium size businesses which have a credit/debit card facility with minimum monthly takings of £3,500.

Clients typically include General Retailers, Pubs, Florists, Hairdressers, Dentists, Healthcare companies, Hotels, Automotive companies and Restaurants. We work in partnership with Lloyds TSB Cardnet to deliver this service so all our customers must switch to using Cardnet for their debit/credit card transactions.

Business Cash Advance is a no fuss solution: it is quick and simple to get a decision. Our team has extensive knowledge of the Pub Licensing industry and is keen to support your business growth.

Find us at http://www.businesscashadvance.co.uk/ or call one of our advisors on 0845 082 6087

Punch Taverns

Supporting Best Newcomer 2011

It's one thing to pull pints in a pub, but imagine having the freedom and flexibility to shape that business and run it as your own. For budding entrepreneurs intent on being their own boss, the pub industry presents a wealth of exciting prospects for all and few pub companies offer the same scope of opportunities as Punch Taverns, sponsors of this year's Great British Pub Awards.

Our approach to business is simple to understand and accessible to everyone. We are passionate about the 7,100 quality pubs that we operate nationwide and are keen to work in partnership with our licensees to build long-term, sustainable businesses.

In exchange for an initial capital investment and a monthly rental fee, you have the freedom to develop the pub exactly as you want to. It's far more involved than simply being a pub manager. When you take on a pub lease you get to make all the decisions, determine the exact customer offering and recruit and develop your own staff.

All Punch Taverns' licensees benefit from an industry leading support package designed to help them maximise their pub's profitability.

From an initial assessment to look at your specific requirements, Punch will support you at every stage. Our BII accredited Charter clearly outlines the expectations on both sides and our award winning training courses and dedicated Business Relationship Managers all help us to build long-term, open and honest relationships with our licensees.

So, if you're passionate about running one of our pubs then give us a call on 0844 8483279.

Redtooth

Supporting Best Entertainment Pub of the Year 2011 

Live pub poker games are fast-becoming a great way to pull the punters in through the door on quieter nights and we're looking for great operators who really make the most of their poker nights. How has poker increased your turnover, how do you promote it and what are those extra special touches that your customers keep coming back for? At Redtooth we believe that people go to pubs to be entertained and for a great night out so we're looking for the pubs that really go that extra mile.

At the forefront of live poker in pubs for the last four years, Redtooth Poker has gone from strength to strength in supporting pubs throughout the UK with their national pub poker leagues and they now have nearly 90,000 registered players.

Pete Thompson at The Queen Hotel in Sheffield has found that live poker games have really helped his Monday night trade, but let him tell you more about it  www.redtoothcreativesolutions.com/punch

Krombacher

Official Bar Partner

The Krombacher Brewery is the home to Germany’s number one premium beer, Krombacher Pils.  The Brewery has been in the hands of the Schadeberg family for generations, who exert as much passion about the product today as the generation that discovered the vital ingredient that makes the beer unique, the Krombach mountain spring (Felsquellwasser), back in 1803.

Krombacher Pils’ distinctive full flavour and taste is attributed to the high quality ingredients, the unique fresh mountain spring water used in the brewing process and of course, the exacting standards set by the brewery, ensuring that no beer leaves without being checked by at least three Krombacher Brewmasters.

In addition to Krombacher Pils, three more variants of Krombacher are available in the UK, Weizen (Wheat), Non Alcoholic and Krombacher Dark.  With the growing interest in dark beers it’s a natural progression for the Krombacher range to introduce an authentic, dark, German beer that is packed full of flavour at a very drinkable 4.2%.