The award is made to recognise meritorious service to the Association or a long-term contribution to the wider industry.

The Award is an engraved tankard. All members of the Association are eligible. The number of awards for any one year should not normally exceed three.

The proposing bodies for the award are Individual Members of the Association and/or Associated Organisations. Nominations for the award should be made by the individual Proposing Bodies or individual PITA members who may nominate only one candidate in any one calendar year. Nominations for the award should normally be made by the end of the calendar year to the PITA Board. It is not mandatory for a Nominating Body to put forward a nomination each year.

The PITA Board shall consider nominations and these will be deemed ratified by a two-thirds majority vote of those present at a meeting of the Board.

The award may only be received once by a member.

The presentation of the award shall normally take place at a public event organised by the Association.

Meritorious Service has previously been awarded to:-

1971 W. Barnett & W.J. Carter & H.G. Tyler
1973 E.J.P. Gregory
1974 C.G. Wallace
1975 W. Holden
1976 F. Craig
1977 R.E. Chittenden & J.M.I. Coutts
1978 G.F. Glover & J.W. Jardine
1979 A.J.M. Draper
1980 D. Hills
1981 N.C. Underwood & T. Small
1982 J. Buglass
1983 D.J. McConnell
1985 W.J. Vernon Anderson & J.B. Wheeldon & B.C. Williams
1986 A.P. McDonald
1987 D. Farquhar & F.J. Roberts & G.W. Tyler
1988 N.P. Brown & J.R.C. Sheldon
1989 J.C. Allan
1990 J.D. Robertson
1991 E. Roberts & T.D. Williams
1992 A. Card & F. Colling & I. Raymond & C. Tosh
1993 D. Oinn
1994 G. Downes
1995 K. Beazley & R. Bellmont
1996 T. Bolton
1997 D. Hancock
1999 R. Coates & M. Morley & Miss E.A. Plewes
2000 G. Heap & R. Morley
2001 P. Hutchinson & J. Martin & R. Wills & M. Yates
2002 M. Allsopp
2005 L. Pickup
2009 Geoff Youd
2017 John Poole & David Ingham