BOSSES at Proper Pubs have raised their glasses after the operator was crowned Best Community Pub Operator at the Publican Awards 2024.

Proper Pubs, the community wet-led operator division of Admiral Taverns, runs more than 200 community pubs across England, Scotland and Wales including the Jolly Crispin in Stourbridge, the Castle in Dudley and the White Swan at Oldbury.

The annual awards, the hospitality sector’s biggest event, shine a light on the best-in-class operators in the UK pub industry and it’s the first time Proper Pubs has won the award.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony on March 27 at London Evolution in Battersea attended by around 1,500 people from across the trade.

Mark Brooke, director at Proper Pubs, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be crowned the Best Community Pub Operator of the year – none of this would be possible without our fantastic team, so a huge thank you to both our operators and the whole Admiral team for the continued dedication.

“Our pubs sit at the heart of their local communities and our values elevate this – they are places that bring local people together and this is embedded through our tailored recruitment and bespoke training programmes.

“Our pubs are constantly hosting a range of brilliant entertainment and raising money for vital local causes.

“This award is true testament to the amazing work each and every person at Proper Pubs continues to do to ensure our pubs are in the best possible position to thrive in their communities, and I am thrilled that their efforts have been recognised.”

Finalists underwent a rigorous judging process, including interviews, pub visits, and a comprehensive panel question and answer session assessed by industry experts.

The judges were impressed by the pub chain’s defibrillator campaign, installing defibrillators outside all its pubs, which has saved 11 lives up and down the country.