Selected from a field of over 800 nominations, the six finalists have been selected based on their community impact, support for their teams, commitment to sustainability, their plans for diversification and the “X factor” that makes brilliant pubs so special. They all had exceptional mystery diner visit scores, and faced financial and online audits, followed by face-to-face interviews in their pubs with head judges, Amanda Hemming and Ashley McCarthy.
The 2026 Licensee of the Year Award finalists are as follows:
To learn more about the finalists, please visit the BII website
Steven Alton, BII CEO, commented: “Our Licensee of the Year Award is the most prestigious & hard-fought award, showcasing the dedication and excellence in our sector. The final six this year represent a wide range of fantastic pubs, each offering a unique approach to the care and dedication to their teams and communities.
“We are very proud that the awards offer a value-added experience at every stage of the competition. Our finalists will have had the opportunity to evaluate their businesses at every stage, from mystery customer reports and judging visit feedback, right through to our final judging day at Sky HQ on Monday 15th June.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all involved and wish them the best of luck for the final stages of the competition. I can’t wait to meet them all next month for our final judging day.”
All six finalists will be presented with a trophy at the BII Summer Event on the 16th of June, where the winner of Licensee of the Year 2026 will be crowned.
The BII would like to thank everyone who entered the competition this year. Keep your eyes peeled for another opportunity to enter in January 2027.
