Last night (21 October) at an awards ceremony held at M Threadneedle Street, the winners of the 2024 Be Inclusive Hospitality Spotlight Awards were announced across 15 categories. These included Chef of the Year, Brand of the Year, Pub of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Writer of the Year, and various culinary categories such as African Food, Caribbean Food, East & Southeast Asian Food, Middle Eastern Food, and South Asian Food.
Mandy Yin from Sambal Shiok was awarded Chef of the Year, while Dom Taylor took home the Brand of the Year title. Romy Gill was recognized as Writer of the Year, and Darryl Collins from Hotel Endsleigh in Tavistock was named Pastry Chef of the Year.
The People’s Choice Person of the Year was awarded to Olawale Makinde from Leonardo Royal Hotel in Birmingham, and the People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year went to Akara at Borough Yards, both determined by public voting with approximately 800 votes cast.
Founded in 2020 by Lorraine Copes, the Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing the exceptional talents of Black, Asian, and ethnic minority individuals working in the hospitality and food sectors in the UK.
This year’s judging panel included Nitisha Patel, development chef and founder of Nitisha Patel Food Consultancy; Mike Reid, culinary director at Rare Restaurants; Monica Berg, co-founder of Tayēr + Elementary; and chef and writer Akwasi Brenya-Mensah.
Copes expressed, “Once again, I have been absolutely blown away by the energy, vibrancy, and collective celebration experienced at these awards. We have a national community, with attendees from Scotland, Wales, Birmingham, and beyond – all coming together to celebrate the brilliant businesses and individuals bringing passion and innovation into the hospitality industry. The number of entries and attendees has truly reinforced the importance of these awards, and we remain committed to shining a bright spotlight on those who are truly deserving.”
The full list of winners is as follows:
- Writer of the Year: Romy Gill
- Chef of the Year: Mandy Yin, Sambal Shiok
- Drinks Professional of the Year: Paul Rutasikwa, Matugga Rum
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Darryl Collins, Hotel Endsleigh
- Rising Star: Davina Dhami, Leonardo Royal Hotel Birmingham
- Head Office Impact: Nikita Mathew, Burger & Lobster
- Brand of the Year: Dom Taylor
- Bar or Pub of the Year: Eko Brewery and Tap Room
- African Food: The Quirky Oven
- Caribbean Food: Jamaya
- East & Southeast Asian Food: Little Yellow Rice Co.
- Middle Eastern Food: Bunhead Bakery
- South Asian Food: Maasi’s
- People’s Choice Person of the Year: Olawale Makinde, Leonardo Royal Hotel Birmingham
- People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year: Akara
