The Stone Roses Bar in York has battled it out against Thwaites pubs across the country to claim an accolade at the latest Thwaites Hospitality Awards.
Hosted annually by Lancashire-based, family-owned hospitality group, Daniel Thwaites, the Italian-themed awards ceremony saw 140 people gather at the four-star North Lakes Hotel & Spa in Penrith, with guests treated to a ‘Sorrento Sparkle’ drinks reception, followed by a three-course Italian feast, a free bar throughout the night, and an evening of first-class entertainment.
The Thwaites Hospitality Awards recognises excellence across the company’s portfolio of over 190 pubs, with operators hoping to scoop honours across just 13 winning categories, including ‘Pub of the Year’ and ‘Community Hero’, as well as an accolade crowning the ‘Best Investment’.
Following a rigorous judging process, which ranged from interviews to mystery pub visits, the evening saw The Stones Roses Bar take home the highly coveted ‘Innovation’ award – and was praised by judges for its ‘passion for business’, ‘commissioned Stone Roses artwork’ and its ‘unique theme which sets them apart from any other venue in the area’.
Commenting on the award win, Gregg Bray, tenant at The Stones Roses Bar, said: “This is astonishing. I am lost for words. This is unexpected, I’m honoured and blown away. Thank you so much to Thwaites for believing in the Stone Roses Bar!”
Andrew Buchanan, Director of Pubs and Brewing at Daniel Thwaites, said: “The Thwaites Hospitality Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate our tenants and their fantastic achievements over the last twelve months. We take great pride in our pubs and, once again, this year’s calibre of entrants has been outstanding. Despite the many challenges the industry has faced, all of our winners have gone above and beyond to demonstrate their resilience to adversity, their dedication to the hospitality sector, and our core values.”
Headline sponsors for the night were Birra Moretti, part of the Heineken family, and Thwaites Brewery, while the award ceremony was also made possible thanks to other sponsors including Egan Reid Group, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Total Food Service, Cask Marque, Harrison Drury Solicitors, Parkinson Signs, Stockchek, Sky, D&M Creative and Halewood Artisanal Spirits.
