Accessibility Award
The winner will be an individual hotel, pub, restaurant, foodservice contract or other hospitality operation offering equal levels of customer service to customers with and without disabilities. This category is not open to groups but is open to an individual establishment within a group.
All entrants must confirm that they comply with all aspects of the Disability Discrimination Acts. They must produce their Accessibility Statements for both their business and their website.
They must also clearly demonstrate that they have understood the business case of providing excellent customer service for a wide range of people with disabilities. Details of the financial case must be presented including the costs of investment and the return on that investment. Other awards gained or won plus testimonials from up to three satisfied customers may be included as supporting evidence.
Criteria: The judges will welcome evidence in the following areas.
• A completed accessibility audit
• Any research undertaken to establish the needs of people with disabilities, including information collected when enquiries or reservations are made, along with details of how customer feedback has informed new practices or changes to health and safety procedures
• Any specific measures that have been introduced to make all people with disabilities and their carers welcome e.g. vibrating pillow, introduction of hoists, installation of a wet room, change in layouts, reduction of bedroom furniture, audio books
• An outline of any training given to management and staff to help them understand the needs of all disabled people and their carers plus help them to deliver outstanding customer service
• Any measures used to combat the abuse of accessible parking e.g. wheel clamping, regular monitoring, and better signage
• Evidence of how information, including marketing information, is made available to people with disabilities (e.g. audio and large print), in print and online.
• Evidence of where and how people with disabilities are employed, the training given to them and adjustments made to accommodate them.
• Any other information that shows the entrant is truly passionate in making a difference for people with disabilities, their carers, family and friends.
Best Group Marketing Campaign
The Best Group Marketing Campaign Award is open to the most enterprising and effective overall campaign run by a hotel, food service operator, restaurant, leisure or brewery group. A group is defined as an organisation operating more than one unit, under central control and separated geographically. Entries in this category may be for a single unit within the group or for the group as a whole or any part of it.
Best Independent Marketing Campaign
The Best Independent Marketing Campaign Award is open to the most enterprising and effective overall campaign run by a single-unit restaurant, hotel, food service operator or pub, without recourse to a centralised marketing department. A single unit is defined as one directly controlled by its owner and not belonging to a group as defined above. Individually owned hotels that are members of a consortium should enter this award.
Best Use of Technology Award
Criteria: The Best Use of Technology Award is open to any hotel, restaurant, leisure or food service business, regardless of size. Entries can be for a single-unit business or for a group of units. Entries will be accepted from executives responsible for managing the application of technology described. Entries must be for projects with a live date of no more than one year before the closing date for entries.
Entries should answer all the questions below on A4 paper. Entries may include testimonials from customers.
• Name and brief description of company
• Turnover
• Number of sites
• Brief description of project
• Describe the business case for the project and its key objectives (e.g. increased sales, cost savings, customer retention)
• Describe the success criteria and how the business case was measured.
• Was the project delivered on time and within budget?
• Has the project delivered the benefits anticipated in the business case?
• How has the project enhanced the company’s competitive position?
• What additional benefits have been achieved?
Sustainable Business Award
Sponsored by Nestlé Professional
Criteria: This award will recognise the hospitality business that has taken the most innovative steps to neutralise its impact on the environment in the past 12 months. The award is open to any hotel, restaurant, brewery, leisure or food service business, regardless of size. Entries can be for a single-unit business or for a group of units. Innovation will be manifested in such initiatives as implementing renewable energy sources; investing in new technology and equipment to minimise water and energy consumption; minimising the amount of waste sent to landfill through recycling initiatives, adopting more biodegradable products, and liaising with suppliers to reduce packaging; adopting more energy efficient building designs; and promoting seasonal, locally sourced produce to reduce food miles.
Entries will be able to provide:
• Action plan showing strategy for increasing commitment to environmental practices in the past twelve months.
• The business case for activities undertaken and their key objectives and quantifiable success criteria.
• Tangible and quantifiable evidence that the action plan was achieved, eg KPIs showing reduction in waste or water use per guest night or meal served.
• Evidence of how they are educating, training and motivating employees at all levels to play their part in running a sustainable business.
• Evidence of how they are involving customers or guests in sustainable practices.
Entries may include an environmental policy document and, where possible, testimonials from customers.
The categories below are now closed
Hotel of the Year – Group
Criteria: The Hotel of the Year - Group category is open to any group hotel of any size and at any market level that demonstrates excellence in its chosen market, consistency of product and service, success as a business, present a healthy balance sheet and particular achievements in the past year. It is open to any hotel that is operated as part of a branded group with four or more units.
Hotel of the Year - Independent
Sponsored by Colliers Robert Barry
Criteria: The Hotel of the Year - Independent will be a business of three units or fewer under a brand or owner. It will be a successful business of any size, category or market level; show excellence in its chosen market; offer an example to which others can aspire; present a healthy balance sheet and be able to demonstrate particular achievements in the past year.
Chef Award
Sponsored by Fairy Expert
Criteria: The award is open to chefs from all sectors of the industry. It recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the industry. The recipient must have made a major contribution through innovation in cooking techniques, styles of cuisine and the understanding of culinary processes. The award recognises a wider contribution to the trade, through significant and effective involvement in the fields of education, charity or the general promotion of the industry's interests. Although the award winner may not be an ever-present figure in his or her own kitchen, it is expected that the recipient will be taking a strong and significant role in the day-to-day operations of an outlet or outlets.
Education and Training Award
Sponsored by Institute of Hospitality
Criteria: The Award will go to someone who has demonstrated an innovative approach to continuous learning with particular regard to the needs of the hospitality industry in the UK. They will have developed initiatives in training that have added value and demonstrated an ability to adapt to the changing needs of the market. The may come from any area of the hospitality industry.
Food Service Caterer Award
Sponsored by Cadbury
Criteria: The Food Service Caterer Award will go to an individual working within the private or event sector who has made an outstanding contribution. The winner will possess the ability to combine innovation with sound financial performance as well as being able to demonstrate clear achievements.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by Heinz Foodservice
There is no formal criteria for this award, although the winner is likely to have enjoyed success over a prolonged period. All of the past recipients have worked in the industry for more than 30 years, but in addition to their core business have contributed to the industry in a considerable way.
Manager of the Year
Sponsored by Dudson Group
Criteria: The winning candidate will have demonstrated proven success in managing and developing a team in the workplace; established a good financial track record and proved their worth over and above the job description, particularly in the past year. Nominations are invited from all sectors of the industry and from all managerial levels.
Menu of the Year
Sponsored by Premier Foods
Criteria: The Menu of the Year Catey is chosen from Caterer’s weekly Menuwatch column as the offering that best represents innovation, originality and value-for-money in the UK dining scene.
Please send your menus to: Menuwatch, Caterer and Hotelkeeper, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS. Email: catererfeatures@rbi.co.uk
Newcomer Award
Sponsored by Christie + Co
Criteria: The Newcomer Award is open to all people in the industry who have taken a risk and seized an opportunity and made a name for themselves. The winner will own a business that has been operating for less than three years on 1 July 2010 and have established a reputation for quality and service. This will be their first owner-operator hospitality-based business. Candidates can be from any sector of the industry.
Pub and Bar Award
Criteria: The Pub and Bar Award is open to people who run, own or manage a pub or pub chain with a food element. The judges are looking for sound business planning and a good grasp of financial matters. Flair and innovation are also important. The winner must commit to staff training, customer service and show involvement in the community
Public Sector Caterer Award
Sponsored by apetito
Criteria: The Public Sector Caterer Award will go to an individual or organisation who has made an outstanding contribution to the cost sector. The winner will possess the ability to combine innovation with sound financial performance, as well as being able to demonstrate clear achievements. The individual or organisation will have contributed to the cost sector in the areas of healthcare, education or institutional catering.
Restaurateur of the Year – Group
Sponsored by Bunzl Catering and Hospitality Division
Criteria: The award is open to individuals who have made their mark in running system-led companies operating branded and themed food and drink outlets. They will operate 3 or more outlets.
Restaurateur of the Year – Independent
Sponsored by Brakes
Criteria: Candidates must demonstrate the ability to combine flair and innovation with good business acumen. They must be setting standards to which others can aspire. They may own and operate several establishments but they will not be themed or branded.
Special Award
Sponsored by Filmbank Distributors
There is no set criteria for this award. It can recognise someone from any sector of the catering or hospitality industry. The person you nominate will have made a significant contribution to their sector - but this contribution may not by any means be over. The award may come early in a career, or as recognition of original or creative ideas, or later when someone has established a consistently outstanding record.
