Having received over 100 nominations from customers across the country, the panel of industry judges - Bidfood group sales and marketing director, Andy Kemp; Anne Pierce, Springboard chief executive; Peter Hancock, chief Executive at Pride of Britain Hotels; and Chair of the Public Sector 100 Group, Andy Jones – selected the following eight winners across six industry sectors:
- Hospitals – Ian Smart, kitchen porter at Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust (Taunton)
- Care Homes – Bev Wernham, kitchen assistant at Thistle Court Nursing Home (Monmouthshire), and Kate Bagwell, head chef at the Laurels (Weston Super Mare)
- Restaurants – Juanita Yansen, restaurant manager of The Blue Boar (Abridge)
- Pubs and pub restaurants – Janet Conaghan, head chef at The Gretna Inn (Gretna)
- Hotels – Caroline Whitney, head chef at Vincent House (Notting Hill)
- Other (including schools, universities and OOH) – Rachael King, Subway (Wilmslow) store manager, and Marc Carpenter, head chef at CTC Kingshurst Academy (North Solihull.)
In return for the longer hours worked and efforts this festive season, each will receive a Christmas dinner for them, their friends and family, as well as a Virgin Experience Day voucher worth £150.
Bidfood chief executive Andrew Selley said: “We know that around 92,000 chefs, kitchen assistants, waiting and bar staff work in hotels, pubs and restaurants on Christmas day, and many more across the whole foodservice industry will give up time with their friends and family.
“From care homes to restaurants, the kitchen and serving teams are all too often the unsung heroes at this time of year and we wanted to thank them for their efforts by gifting them back a dinner for them to enjoy with loved ones.”