This year’s awards are taking place on Monday 14th September at The Gable bar and restaurant in Moorgate, London.
The event offers people in the growing market the chance to be judged by their peers and to shine for their excellence and outstanding contribution.
As organisers of the successful awards, which are growing year on year, we have also made a few tweaks to the criteria and categories.
Best Coffee Experience
This award will go to an independent outlet or group operating in the lunchtime sector. Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this business eligible to win? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Attach a menu of the coffee and food offering
3. Prove the team has indepth knowledge of coffee. This could be through examples of training, CV, awards
Your outlet will be mystery dined as part of the judging process. Things we will be looking for include product, provenance and service.
Best Tea Experience
This award will be given to an independent outlet or group operating in the lunchtime sector.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this business eligible to win? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Attach a menu of your tea and food offering
3. Prove the team has indepth knowledge of tea. This could be through examples of training, CV, awards
Your outlet will be mystery dined as part of the judging process. Things we will be looking for include product, provenance and service.
Best Lunchtime Menu on the high street
This award will go to the establishment in food to go with the best lunchtime menu offering on the high street.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this lunchtime concept eligible to win this award? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Provide evidence of sales growth/commercial performance over the last year
3. Attach an example of the menu
Best Lunchtime Menu in the workplace
This award will go to the establishment in food to go with the best lunchtime menu offering in the workplace
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this lunchtime concept an award winner? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Provide evidence of lunchtime sales growth/commercial performance in the last year
2. Attach an example of the menu
Group Operator of the Year
The category is open to a coffee or sandwich shop concept responsible for a minimum of five outlets either on the high street or in the workplace
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this group operator eligible to win this award? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. What skills does this business have as a group operator of the year?
3. Provide evidence of the past year’s trading performance
Group Area Manager of the Year
This category is open to nominees responsible for multiple sites (minimum of five) in a particular area. This can be on the high street or in the workplace.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this Group Area Manager eligible to win? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Provide evidence on how the business has expanded over the last 12 months
3. Provide evidence on how the nominee has been instrumental to increased turnover in the last year
Innovation Award
This award is open to all operators in food to go; small independent operators, contract catering grab and go operators and those responsible for multiple sites
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this business a worthy winner? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Attach evidence of the innovation
3. Has innovation driven commercial performance? Provide one example
Marketing Award
Nominations are sought for any individual or organisation in food to go that can prove that a particular marketing initiative or sustained campaign including social media has proved successful and exceeded expectations.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is this individual/organisation a worthy winner of this award? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Attach an example of a marketing campaign that has proved successful in the last year
3. Has the business financially benefited from the campaign? If so, show one example
CSR Award
This award will recognise and applaud an independent or chain of lunchtime outlets in the high street or workplace implementing a proactive approach to corporate social responsibility.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. Why is the business worthy of the CSR award? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Identify the company’s four key CSR pillars
3. Provide one example of how the business has involved employees, suppliers or customers through recycling, food sourcing, local community engagement, charitable work, waste management or/and training
Brand of the Year
This award is open to a brand, with a minimum of five sites that has shown the most assurance in responding to the changing dynamics of the food to go market. The brand will have shown clear evidence of innovation, and of extending its reach in innovative ways which deliver a commercial return.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following:
1. What makes this brand the ‘brand of the year’? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Show clear evidence of innovation in terms of the brand and its marketing
3. Show evidence of this innovation delivering a commercial return in the last year – financial figures needed
Independent Operator of the Year
This category is open to a coffee or sandwich shop concept responsible for four outlets or fewer, on the high street.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following
1.Why is this independent operator an award winner? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Provide evidence of the past year’s trading performance
3. Provide examples of the operator’s strong food & drink offering
Contract Catering Grab & Go
This award will celebrate the best of the brands and concepts operated by contract in the grab & go world.
Judges are looking for entrants to provide and answer the following
1. What makes this concept an award winner? (answer in no more than 500 words)
2. Provide an example of how this concept is innovating
3. Provide evidence that this concept has been a commercial success
Special Achievement Award
This award is in the gift of Lunch Business, who has the opportunity to reward either an individual or organisation on the contribution they have made to the development, growth and prosperity of the food to go market. The winner of the category will have demonstrated outstanding skills, drive, ideas and influence.
How to get involved
To take part, nominees and entrants are encouraged to use a simple nomination form online, which will be available early May. This will take just a few moments to fill in, so stay tuned, we will be in touch! More information will be available in the next issue of Lunch Business.
For more information email mariab@dewred.co.uk and for sponsorship opportunities email stuartb@dewred.co.uk.