Drew Styles from Wigan has been named UK Plumber of the Year 2017 in a nationwide competition run by JT, Bristan and Wolseley Plumb Center.
Hundreds of plumbers entered the competition nationwide, with the organisers reporting a “record” number of applications.
The official judging partner, Watersafe, selected 15 plumbers from the applications based on their skills, qualifications and experience. The 15 then went to a public vote to select the five finalists.
The final stage involved a 30-minute interview with the judging panel at Bristan headquarters in Tamworth.
Along with the title of UK Plumber of the Year for 2017, Styles also wins a share of £10,000 worth of prizes, which include products from JT, Bristan and Wolesley Plumb Center, as well as prizes from Proper Job beer, Rothenberger, CK Tools, Salamander, Filplastic, First Stop and Big Wipes.
Other finalists in the competition included Tom Jenkins from Treorchy in Wales, Paul Maguire from Glasgow, Thomas Foster from Dundee and Gareth Lloyd from Hereford.
Styles said: “I’m really thrilled to be crowned Plumber of the Year 2017 – I’ve had a blast in the competition and I’m really thankful to all the people who voted for me.
“I’d definitely recommend the competition as something plumbers should get involved in. The support has been overwhelming and the prizes are just the cherry on the cake. I always try to make sure the service I deliver is the highest quality and to receive recognition for that is amazing.”
John Schofield, sales and marketing director at JT, added: “We’d all like to congratulate Drew on his win – it was well deserved. The standard of the competition rises each year, so he should be really proud of himself, as all five of the finalists were extremely impressive. Drew’s passion for the industry really shone through when he was discussing his work, and that really resonated with the judging panel.
“On behalf of JT, Bristan, Wolseley Plumb Center and Watersafe, I’d like to thank everyone that entered and say ‘well done’ to all the finalists. We’re looking forward to seeing what the 2018 competition has to offer.”
- Main image left to right: Jamie Harris, Bristan; Christopher Sneath, Watersafe; Drew Styles, 2017 UK Plumber of the Year; Richard Redfern Wolseley Plumb Centre; John Schofield, JT