Hospitality Guild honours hospitality professionals, apprentices and employers at inaugural awards

The hospitality professionals, including chefs, sommeliers, revenue managers and pub managers, joined dozens of people from across the industry to receive their awards from a host of the industry's finest, including Brian Turner, Michael Caines and Fred Sirieix at the House of Commons earlier today. 

Suzy Jackson, executive director of the Hospitality Guild, which launched earlier this year​ and has the support of 23 industry partners, said the idea behind the Young Hall of Fame was to help celebrate the achievements of young people working in the industry. 

“The Young Hall of Fame recognises rising stars and demonstrates the professionalism and exciting career opportunities hospitality offers. By pulling all their success into one showcase, you see the size of the hospitality sector," she said. 

“With new joiners each year, I truly believe that it will motivate further generations into our industry and increase the public’s awareness of and pride in the professionalism that young people deliver across the diverse hospitality industry."

Apprenticeship awards​

The Guild also gave out six awards to apprentices and employers with Charlotte Bonser, deputy general manager at Spirit Pub Company's The Polite Vicar picking up the Intermediate Apprentice of the Year award and Emma Keeling, a front-of-house supervisor at the Ramada Birmingham North hotel awarded Advanced Apprentice of the Year. Both award-winners were given iPads and work experience at The Westbury hotel in London and Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons respectively. 

Awards were also given to Norman McKenzie of Rhinefield House Hotel. The head chef was named Mentor of the Year for his work in nurturing the talent of others while Lime Wood Hotel was awarded Employer of the Year - SME and Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants was named Employer of the Year - Large. Pub and restaurant group Mitchells & Butlers and training supplier Babcock International Group were dubbed Partnership of the the Year.

“These awards, which are being delivered in partnership with People 1st, promote the industry as a great place to work, and recognise the value apprenticeships offer and the support apprentices receive from employers, providers and mentors to meet their career ambitions," said Jackson. 

Speaking at the event, Matthew Hancock MP, Minister for Skills, praised the winners and said events such as this were 'essential' for promoting careers in hospitality and showing the potential the industry had to offer. 

"I would also like to congratulate the Guild on its success," he added. "Since its foundation they have been a passionate advocate for apprenticeships, bringing the industry together and we see the results here today. 

Hancock also used the opportunity to speak about the value of apprenticeships. He claimed that those who had started their careers as apprentices were likely to earn £100k more than those who studied for degrees. 

The winners of the Hospitality Guild Apprenticeship Awards are:​

• Intermediate Apprentice of the Year - ​Charlotte Bonser (Food and Beverage Service), deputy general manager, The Polite Vicar, Spirit Pub Company
• Advanced Apprentice of the Year - ​Emma Keeling (Hospitality Supervision and Leadership), front of house supervisor, Ramada Birmingham North – Cannock
• Apprenticeship Mentor of the Year - ​Norman MacKenzie, head chef, Rhinefield House Hotel, Hand Picked Hotels
• Employer of the Year – SME (less than 250 employees) - ​Lime Wood Hotel
• Employer of the Year – Large (more than 250 employees) - ​Winner: Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants Highly commended: McDonald’s
• Partnership of the Year -​ Mitchells & Butlers and Babcock International Group

The Hospitality Guild's Young Hall of Fame members are: 

Chef category​

• James Goodyear, Chef de Partie, Le Manoir aux Qaut’Saisons, Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Award
• Sophie Copping, Student, Springboard's FutureChef 2012 Award
• Anabelle Wilson, Pastry Chef, Confiseur, Chocolatier, Bachmanns Ltd, David Lyell Scholarship winner – The Master Chefs of Great Britain Young Pastry Chef of the Year
• Melissa Paul, Apprentice Chef, William Curley, Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence Young Pastry Chef of the Year
• Ian Musgrave, Chef de Partie, The Ritz, Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence Young Chef of the Year
• Louisa May Matthews, Demi Chef de Partie, Eton College, The Master Chefs of Great Britain Young Chef of the Year
• Norman Musa, Executive Chef, Ning Restaurant, Young Asian and Oriental Chef of the Year at the Asian Curry Awards 2012

Front of house category​

• Emma Bell, Supervisor, Keele Hall, Keele University, TUCO Food Service Skills Challenge Award
• Romain Crozat, Sommelier, Galvin at Windows, Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence Young Waiter of the Year
• Nuannapa Ratanakitsunthorn, Westminster Kingsway College and Caroline Kerber Wetzel, Front of House, D&D Group at Launceston Place, Nestlé Toque d’Or 2012
• Mahdis Neghabian, manager, the Camden Eye, 2012 BII Licensee of the Year Award
• Stephen Raducki, Head Sommelier, Hotel du Vin, Academy of Food & Wine Service UK Young Sommelier of the Year 2012

Hotel services category​

• Elena Popova, Audit Associate, Deloitte (formerly at De Vere Venues), HOSPA Education and Training Programme Student Award – Finance
• Alexander Wilson, Graduate Manager, Elite Hotels, Springboard's Young Guns Award Winner 2012
• Alise Jurane, Room Attendant, Omni Facilities Management, UKHA – UK Housekeepers Association’s Rising Star Award
• Hannah Duckworth, Marketing and PR Resourcer, Deverell Smith Recruitment, Springboard’s Young Guns Award Winner 2012
• Jolanta Pieczulis, Graduate Manager, Jurys Inn Group Ltd, HOSPA Education and Training Programme Student Award – Finance
• Maria Holzapfel, Receptionist, The London Marriott Grosvenor Square, The Association of Front Office and Reception Managers (AICR) UK Receptionist of the Year Award
• Pamela Debattista, Events Co-ordinator, The Ritz London, The Savoy Gastronomes Olive Barnett Award
• Stephanie Quinto, Financial Executive, Jumeirah Beach Hotel LLC, HOSPA Education and Training Programme Student Award – Finance
• Christina Willey, Regional Revenue Manager North West, Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, HOSPA Education and Training Programme Student Award – Revenue Management
• Sarah Kundi, Accounts Assistant, Brown’s Hotel (Rocco Forte Hotels), HOSPA Education and Training Programme Student Award – Finance
• Emma Smith, Central Revenue Manager, Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, HOSPA Education and Training Programme Student Award – Revenue Management
• Judith Marx, Finance Futura Trainee, Sheraton Amsterdam Airport and Hotel Pulitzer, HOSPA Education and Training Programme Student Award – Finance