X-Factor pub wins BII award

Darran Lingley from the Five Bells in Colne Engaine, Colchester, Essex has won the 2011 BII licensee of the year award.

Lingley, whose pub is famous for being the former workplace and local of 2010 X-Factor winner Matt Cardle, collected the award at the BII annual lunch earlier today.

His pub was selected as the winner from a shortlist of four. The three runners up were:

Lee and Keris De Villiers MBII, the Nightingale pub, Balham, London

Mark and Hayley Foster FBII, the Hare and Hounds, Corsham, Wiltshire

Barbara and Edward May from the Great Western hotel and Steam bar & restaurant, Newquay, Cornwall

Each finalist faced a challenging series of panel interviews in London in April before a winner was announced.

Lingley's work to place his pub at the centre of the local community, including sponsorship of several local sports teams and associations, helped win the award. He also advised tenants to measure as much of what a pub does as possible in order to see what works and what doesn't.

BII names Licensee of the Year finalists >>

Derbyshire licensees win BII Licensee of the Year 2010 >>

By Neil Gerrard

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