Tue 7th Jun 2016 - Rob and Lucy Brewer win BII Licensee of the Year Rob and Lucy Brewer win BII Licensee of the Year: Rob and Lucy Brewer from the Rashleigh Arms in the village of Charlestown, Cornwall, have won the 2016 British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) Licensee of the Year. The accolade recognises the country’s top-performing licensee with a passion for the trade and is regarded as the industry’s most coveted award. It had a new format this year with licensees able to be nominated by third parties. Beating a shortlist of six licensees, the Brewers were commended by the judging panel for their enthusiasm as well as experience. Awarded at today’s (Tuesday, 7 June) annual BII summer event, the judges said the couple distinguished themselves from the competition thanks to their commitment to going above and beyond to differentiate their offering. The Rashleigh Arms is a destination pub in Cornwall with its strong food trade as well as its focus on real ales that make up 28.6% of the drinks available. The couple also showcased their industry knowledge on subjects such as the National Living Wage, training and organically growing their hospitality team. They also demonstrated enthusiasm for the BII and its Licensee of the Year Awards, envisaging how winning this year’s trophy, prize and the prestige associated with the title will help grow their business even further. Rob Brewer said: “We are so proud to be the winners of the Licensee of the Year Awards, especially as a Cornish pub. I think the number one economy in Cornwall is based around tourism, bringing people into the county to come and visit us. So anything that we can do that helps promote that I think is a massive plus.” Lucy Brewer added: “We also hope successes such as ours help get people into the industry. We’re up to a 50-strong team now so we hope this kind of recognition will encourage people to consider working in hospitality and staying as well. But primarily, we hope our award win and exposure from attending industry events to commentate on issues that matter to the South West, will help boost Cornwall’s tourism and economy.” BII chief executive Mike Clist said: “We were really impressed by Rob and Lucy as a shining example of running a licensed establishment. As well as enthusiasm and passion for the Great British pub industry, they’re also very involved in their local community making them a social hub for the picturesque seaside village of Charlestown. The new format, introduced this year, whereby third parties can nominate deserving licensees, has proved a real success with the majority of finalists, including Rob and Lucy, being nominated by others, which is a testament to their efforts. We want to congratulate all six licensees shortlisted as they all demonstrated a high level of skill and knowledge that showed why they’re leaders in the industry. We will continue to support all six finalists and are looking forward to seeing their businesses grow even further.”