The Licensed Trade Charity named Punch Pubs & Co, Butcombe Group, Sysco GB, BII chief executive Steve Alton and Beautiful Pubs Collective founder Sam Hagger as winners of its 2026 Awards at a dinner drawing more than 300 licensed hospitality professionals to the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London on 1 October.

The charity, founded in 1793, used the evening to report another record-breaking year of fundraising alongside growing demand for its support services across the sector. In 2025, LTC said it reached 45,000 people through its network of specialists providing free help and support.

Who won what?

The 2026 award winners span operators, suppliers and individuals:

• LTC Wellbeing Champion Award — Sam Hagger, founder and managing director, The Beautiful Pubs Collective
• LTC Fundraiser of the Year — Steve Alton, CEO, BII
• Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing (Suppliers) — Sysco GB
• Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing (Operators under 250 sites) — Butcombe Group
• Excellence in Workplace Wellbeing (Operators over 251 sites) — Punch Pubs & Co

The split of the operator categories at the 250-site line mirrors the structure of the UK pub market, where large managed and leased estates such as Punch compete alongside regionally scaled groups like Butcombe for talent and retention.

What did the charity announce?

The evening marked the launch of the Karma Keg, a joint initiative between dispense-technology firm ekeg and LTC that converts everyday pint sales into fundraising, generating donations for both the charity and participating publicans.

Attendees also viewed LTC's new "Always On Shift" campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the pressures hospitality workers face and to push more of them toward the charity's support services — a 24-hour free helpline, an Employee Assistance Programme, practical advice and financial assistance.

CEO Chris Welham, who opened the dinner with a business update, said: "This year's awards celebrate the individuals and organisations who are helping to create a more supportive, inclusive and people-focused hospitality industry. Their dedication to supporting colleagues, championing wellbeing and giving back to the hospitality community is truly inspiring."

Welham tied the charity's reach directly to industry backing: "At LTC, our mission is to help people live well and move forward, and we simply couldn't do that without the continued support of our partners, fundraisers, volunteers, trustees and wider industry network. Together, we're helping to ensure that more people across licensed hospitality can access the practical, health and wellbeing and financial support they need to reach their full potential."

Who backed the event?

The awards dinner ran on partner support from Thatchers Cider, Budweiser Brewing Group (AB InBev), Butcombe Group, Campari Group, Lucky Saint, ekeg, Bidfood UK, SHS Drinks, Professional Security, Venners Ltd and Platts Bonson Licensed Trade Valuers.

Beyond the event itself, LTC's operating model depends on that continued commercial backing. The charity delivers financial assistance, practical guidance and wellbeing resources to licensed hospitality workers, and it also runs five fully funded schools through the LTC Education Group serving children from the sector.

With demand for its services growing and fundraising at record levels, LTC enters its next year with an expanded toolkit — the Karma Keg and the Always On Shift campaign — aimed at converting that industry goodwill into wider uptake of support among the licensed trade workforce.