Blog, Events blog

Case Study: Wadworth “Best of the Best” Awards 2017

The Wadworth Best of the Best Awards 2017 took place in the beautiful Grand Ballroom at The Bear Hotel, Devizes, celebrating the outstanding hospitality talent across the Wadworth estate. The awards recognised managers, tenants, chefs, team members, and pubs who have gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer experiences.

A Celebration of Excellence

Speaking after the ceremony, Chris Welham, CEO of Wadworth, said:

“The ‘Best of the Best Awards’ give us a fantastic opportunity to show our appreciation and celebrate the success of our dedicated tenanted and managed house teams. The competition is always incredibly tough but the winners have gone above and beyond to show their continued commitment to both their pubs and customers.

The awards ceremony is always great fun and it gives us the perfect opportunity to join together with our managers, business partners and team members from across the company. I’d like to thank everyone at Wadworth for their continued hard work and dedication in making the customer count every day.”

Sponsors for the evening included Wadworth 6X, Heineken, Carlsberg, Strongbow, Weston’s Cider, Walter Rose and Sons, and Britvic.



Awards night setup featuring table seating, podium, and stage backdrop with branding, enhanced by blue accent lighting.



Large screen displaying Wadworth Best of the Best Awards 2017 with vibrant stage lighting for an awards event.




Staging setup for awards dinner with colorful LED lighting, podium, and screen displaying “Best of the Best Awards 2017.”



Audio visual excellence AVE Services provided full event production for the Wadworth Best of the Best award show, an award show dedicated to the best of the british pubs in the UK. AVE Services provided a 2x2 videowall, white set panels with over 30 lighting fixtures. A 4 speaker PA sound system was used to amplify the hosts and play walkup and award music for the winners. The Bear hotel in Devizes was a fantastic venue, with a beautiful canvas for the event.


AVE Services’ Event Production

AVE Services provided a full event production package, including:

  • 2×2 Video Wall – For clear, engaging visuals throughout the ceremony

  • Two 50″ Monitors on Wheeled Trolley Stands – For flexible display options

  • Microphones & Speakers – Delivering crystal-clear sound for speeches and awards

  • Lighting – Creating the perfect celebratory atmosphere

  • Lecterns & Set Backdrop – Adding a professional finish

  • Foamex Signage Boards – Reinforcing branding and award categories

  • Technicians – On-site to ensure everything ran smoothly

This combination of staging, sound, and visuals helped elevate the experience and made the evening memorable for every guest.

2017 Award Winners

Managed House Best Team Member

  • Winner: George Hotel, Frome – Dawn Eggleton

Managed House Best Chef

  • Winner: Pheasant Inn, Chippenham – Gareth Tibbles

  • Silver: Avon Causeway, Hurn – Jake McBride

Tenanted Trade Pubs in Bloom

  • Elite Winner: Golden Lion, Winchester – Derek & Brid Phelan

  • New Entrant: Blue Boar, Aldbourne – Michael & Joanne Hehir

Tenanted Trade Best Kept Cellar

  • Winner: Millstream, Marden – Kate Patterson

Tenanted Trade Best Neighbourhood

  • Winner: Cross Keys, Rowde – Kelly Dodsworth

Tenanted Trade Best Retailer

  • Winner: Greyhound, Bromham – Tara & Danny Adams

Tenanted Trade Best Digital Marketing Pub

  • Winner: Trigger Pond, Bucknell – Jo & Harwood Warrington

Managed House Best Marketing Pub

  • Winner: George Inn & Red Lion, Lacock – Chris Bryett

  • Silver: Fish Inn, Ringwood – Simon & Jude Karelus

Tenanted Trade Best Customer Experience

  • Joint Winners: The Curfew, Bath – Dan & Emily Brew

  • Joint Winners: New Inn, Coate – David Conroy

Managed House Best Turnaround Pub

  • Winner: Victoria Arms, Old Marston – Ruth Bowers

Special Recognition

  • Winner: Gordon Straker

Tenanted Trade Best Newcomer

  • Winner: The Daneway, Sapperton – Marcus Coles & Poppi Hobbs

Managed House Best Newcomer

  • Winner: Avon Causeway, Hurn – Gary Davies

  • Silver: Cross Keys, Wanborough – Darren & Kirstine Mingham

Tenanted Trade Best Food Pub

  • Joint Winners: Bull Inn, Hinton – Richard & Marta Hodder

  • Joint Winners: White Hart, Wytham – Mark & Amanda Butcher

Managed House Best Food Pub

  • Winner: Pheasant Inn, Chippenham – Richard Jennings & Gareth Tibbles

  • Silver: Colesbourne Inn, Colesbourne – Trevor & Liz Johnson

Tenanted Trade Perfect Pint

  • Winner: The Curfew, Bath – Dan & Emily Brew

Managed House Perfect Pint

  • Winner: Cleveland Bay, Chandlers Ford – John & Jade Whitfield

Managed House Best Manager

  • Winner: Fox & Hounds, Theale – Miles Teece & Jayne Tilsley

  • Silver: Pheasant Inn, Chippenham – Richard Jennings

  • Highly Commended: Bartons Mill Pub & Dining, Old Basing – Ray Turnbull

Tenanted Trade Best Business Partner

  • Winner: The Poplars, Wingfield – Bernie & Carol Camish

Plan Your Next Awards Night

AVE Services specialises in providing end-to-end production for awards ceremonies, corporate events, and conferences.

📧 Email: [email protected]