Loo of the year judges keep plugging our toilets

Hundreds of Wetherspoon pubs have won acclaim for the quality and standard of their toilets – in the Loo of the Year Awards 2023.

In addition, the company won national awards, with some pubs also winning individual national awards.

The awards are aimed at highlighting and improving standards of away-from home washrooms across the UK.

Inspectors for Loo of the Year Awards make unannounced visits to thousands of toilets at sites across the UK, in order to judge them.

All of the toilets are graded silver, gold, platinum, platinum plus or diamond, with unacceptable toilets not graded at all.

A diamond rating (the highest-possible rating) is awarded to those venues which offer ‘the highest standards of cleaning and the provision of facilities to meet all users’ needs’.

The toilets are judged against numerous criteria, including décor and maintenance, cleanliness, accessibility, hand-washing and -drying equipment and overall management.

Wetherspoon’s pubs and hotels received 11 diamond awards, 120 platinum plus awards, 554 platinum awards and 122 gold awards.

The company’s operations director, Martin Geoghegan, said: “Staff at our pubs ensure, at all times, that the toilets are in excellent condition – and it is great that this has been recognised by inspectors.

“Offering customers clean and well maintained toilets is of utmost importance to us.”

The Loo of the Year’s managing director, Becky Wall, said: “The Loo of the Year’s gold grade is our fit-for-purpose benchmark, and it is always encouraging to see how the managers of Wetherspoon present their toilets and receive the grades awarded to them seriously.

“This is illustrated by the majority of Wetherspoon’s pubs and hotels having received platinum, platinum plus and, some, the top diamond gradings.
“Congratulations.”

Once again, Wetherspoon won the overall trophy for corporate provider entries.

It was also named in the 2023 Champions League Standards of Excellence.

This champions’ league is for those organisations with eight or more entries, where five or more have been graded as diamond, platinum or platinum plus.

The company also triumphed in the market sector awards, being named as the leading provider of toilets in the ‘pubs and wine bars’ sector.

Wetherspoon was also named as the best provider of toilets for pubs and hotels in England, Scotland and Wales.

The Rose Salterne (Bideford), The Standing Order (Edinburgh) and Yr Hen Dderwen (Carmarthen) were named as winners in the ‘pubs and wine bars’ sector.

In the ‘hotel’ category, The Queen’s Head Hotel (Tavistock), Jolly’s Hotel (Broughty Ferry) and The George Hotel (Brecon) were named as the best providers of toilets.

In addition, two pubs, The Rawson Spring (Sheffield) and Yr Hen Dderwen (Carmarthen), were awarded in the accessible toilet entries category.