Local bars aiming for Pub of the Year success

The search to discover the toast of the Northern Ireland licensed trade is under way as Pubs of Ulster officially launches its annual Pub of the Year Awards.

Pubs of Ulster, the representative body for the licensed trade in Northern Ireland, is embarking on its annual search to find the best in the business and is calling on licensees across County Antrim to enter the only industry recognised awards.

This year there will be the chance to enter a record TEN categories that have been designed to highlight the very best that the industry has to offer: Best Barperson (in partnership with the Sunday Life); Best Entertainment; Best Food; Best New or Improved; Best Marketing Idea; Best Charity Event; Best Big Idea, Best Hotel Bar, Best Ulster Pub Week event and the ultimate award - Pub of the Year 2014.

Last year a number of awards were picked up in the Ballymena and Antrim areas including a joint award win for Best Barperson for Maggie McGaughey at The Front Page in Ballymena, Best Marketing Initiative for The Wild Duck Inn in Portglenone, and Best Food for The Elk in Toomebridge.

Commenting on the Pub of the Year Awards 2014, Mark Stewart, chairman of Pubs of Ulster, said: “The Pub of the Year Awards celebrates all that is great about our Northern Ireland’s pub industry and the awards are hotly contested each year.

“We have some of the best pubs in the world right on our doorstep and many of these are setting industry standards when it comes to their customer offering and service as well as innovation.

“Just like the industry itself, we also understand how important it is to keep evolving and improving. That is why this year we launched ‘The Great Ulster Pub Week’ as an additional way to celebrate our fantastic license trade and this year we have included an award category to recognise the Best Ulster Pub Week Event.

“I would encourage all publicans in Antrim to get involved and enter this year’s Awards, as we strive to celebrate the real heroes of Northern Ireland’s pub industry.”

This year, one of the Awards categories will invite nominations from the general public. People can nominate their favourite barperson by writing to The Sunday Life, which is joining forces with Pubs of Ulster to find out who’s the Best Barperson in the pub personality stakes.

All submitted Award entries, along with public nominations from Best Barperson will be vetted and judged by an independent judging panel comprised of industry experts, before being mystery shopped to ensure they meet industry standards and best practice guidelines.

The closing date for entries for the Pub of the Year Awards 2014 is Tuesday 16th September 2014. A final shortlist will be announced by the end of October, revealing the top five pubs in each category. The winners of the 10 award categories – including the overall Pub of the Year 2014 – will be revealed at the prestigious Pub of the Year Gala on Wednesday 12th November 2014 at La Mon Hotel and Country Club.

In addition to being named Pub of the Year 2014, the overall winner of this year’s Awards will walk away with a full page profile in The Sunday Life and commemorative front cover; plus a choice of a dedicated advertising package on Downtown/Cool FM worth £1000.

The Pub of the Year Awards are the only industry recognised awards, this year’s awards are sponsored by Britvic, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Dillon Bass, Heineken Northern Ireland, Molson Coors, Richmond Marketing, Tennent’s NI, Drinks Inc. and media partners, Sunday Life, Downtown/Cool FM and Hospitality Review NI.

For further information about the Pub of the Year Awards and to enter online, visit www.nipuboftheyear.org