Lancashire food hero picks up second national award of the year

A Lancashire food hero has added another prestigious national award to her company’s growing collection, as she picks up the ‘Oscar’ of the hospitality world.

Joycelyn Neve, managing director of the award-winning Seafood Pub Company, won the Pub and Bar award at this year’s Catey awards, fighting off strong competition from Peter Borg-Neal of Oakman Inns & Restaurants and Richard Holmes of the Pint Shop.

She said: “I’m absolutely over the moon to receive this award; to win a Catey alongside Rick Stein who is a hero of mine is a dream come true.

“Not only is it a huge personal career highlight, it’s also testament to the hard work of all of our teams. Without their belief and commitment to the Seafood Pub Company’s vision, we wouldn’t be as successful as we are.”

The Seafood Pub Company boasts eight, soon to be nine sites across Lancashire, including the Assheton Arms in Downham, the Oyster & Otter in Feniscowles, the Fenwick in Claughton and the Derby Arms in Longridge.

Joycelyn collected her award from Claudia Winkleman, before an audience of more than 1,200 peers at London’s Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel. The evening was a huge celebration and a chance for iconic chefs, operators and foodies to network and enjoy a special evening together.

The judges were impressed with Joycelyn’s natural flair for the industry and her willingness to give something back.

Judge Craig Bancroft, managing director at Northcote said: “Joycelyn is a stand-out winner in terms of being an inspirational character who has developed a strong business that develops young people, flexes its offer to suit its position and delivers a first-class product. Tenacity, progress and excellence are standout qualities that will see Joycelyn as an industry leader now and in the future.”

The Seafood Pub Company has a number of awards under its belt, including a recent win at the prestigious Publican Awards; the group won Best Food Offer for 2 – 50 Sites for the second consecutive year. Its flagship venue the Assheton Arms was also named as the Country Dining Pub of the Year in 2014 and 2015., alongside being awarded an AA Rosette and 5* status for its food and rooms. Joycelyn added: “It was a wonderful evening, shared with some huge names in the industry. The future is looking bright for the Seafood Pub Company and we’ve lots of ideas and developments in the pipeline moving forward.”