An audience of 800 industry luminaries saw the likes of the Galvin Brothers, Chris and Jeff, who were awarded the Special Award and Sodexo’s Gareth Billington who was named the People’s Choice.
Chris White’s The White Spoon, Cheltenham was named New Restaurant of the Year, fighting off competition from Allan Pickett’s Piquet Restaurant, Wayne Smith’s Mortimers Restaurant and Jan Tanaka’s The Ninth Restaurant.
The Michelin-starred Chris and Jeff Galvin were chosen as the Special Award winners. Renowned for their French cuisine, the brothers opened their first restaurant, Bistrot de Luxe in 2005, with Galvin at Windows following a year later and securing a Michelin star in 2010. A second Michelin star followed a year later for them at Galvin La Chapelle, which opened in 2009.
Following over a 1,000 online votes, Gareth Billington, executive chef at Sodexo was named the People’s Choice. The chef heads a 32-strong team at Everton Football Club providing match day and event catering and has won a string of awards during his career.
His involvement with Springboard’s FutureChef initiative, which helps young people learn cookery skills and train for careers in the hospitality industry has perhaps garnered the most praise. The ambassador has, to date, mentored four national finalists, three of whom took the top prize, beating over 8,000 entrants.
Voted for on the night, Soho Farmhouse romped to victory in the Innovation Award category, warding off competition from German Gymnasium and Sexy Fish.
The Craft Guild of Chefs Awards also acknowledged a host of leading lights across the industry, whether they work in a pub, fine dining restaurant, city university, military unit or in contract catering.
The full list of winners is as follows:
- Apprentice Chef - Eleanor De Maria, Demi Chef de Partie at Eurest (sponsored by Compass Group)
- Armed Service Chef - Richard Geenhalgh, Flight Sergeant Junior Ranks Mess at Royal Air Force (sponsored by Purple Foodservice Solutions)
- Banqueting/Event Chef - James Buckley, Executive Chef at Levy Restaurants (sponsored by Essential Cuisine)
- Chef Lecturer - John Crowe, Lecturer in Hospitality at North West Regional College - Ireland (sponsored by Fresh Montgomery)
- Competition Chef - Robert Kennedy, Executive Chef at Sandhurst Military College (sponsored by Santa Maria)
- Contract Catering Chef - Stuart Nisbet, Offer Development Chef at Elior UK (sponsored by Kerry Foods)
- Development Chef - Diane Camp, Development Chef at Reynolds Catering Supplies Ltd (sponsored by McCain Foods)
- Ethnic Chef - Chad Rahman, Executive Chef at Chez Mumtaj (sponsored by Nayati)
- Innovation - Soho Farmhouse (sponsored by Jestic)
- New Restaurant of the Year - Chris White, Chef Director at The White Spoon (sponsored by Jelf Insurance)
- Pastry Chef - Stephen Tarling, Head Pastry Chef at Daylesford Organic (sponsored by Carpigiani UK)
- People’s Choice - Gareth Billington, Executive Chef at Sodexo UK & Ireland (sponsored by Nisbets)
- Pub Restaurant Chef - James Mackenzie, Chef/Proprietor at The Pipe & Glass Inn (sponsored by Bidvest Foodservice)
- Public Sector Chef - Scott Pring, Executive Head Chef at Bridgewater College (sponsored by Theos Food Company)
- Restaurant Chef - Will Holland, Head Chef at Coast Restaurant (sponsored by Gram UK)
- Young Chef - Arthur Quin, Sous Chef at Punch Bowl Inn & Restaurant Crosthwaite (sponsored by Falcon Williams)
- Special Award - Galvin Brothers (sponsored by Sodexo)