Eleven talented individuals and teams have been honoured at the third annual BaxterStorey Awards at a ceremony at the Institute of Directors, London.
Created in 2016 to recognise exceptional talent within the UK’s largest independent hospitality organisation, the prestigious event acknowledged individuals across the business, from outstanding chefs and extraordinary front of house teams to dedicated kitchen porters and rising stars.
Award categories included Chef of the Year, Rising Star Award and Kitchen Porter of the Year. The Chef Academy ‘Equilibrium Team’ was thrilled to take home the Innovation Award for its new project looking at meat protein alternatives. Addressing the heart of how we cook, Food EQ aims to change reliance on meat and fish as a sole source of protein, introducing alternatives such as grains and pulses to become the stars of the plate.
There was also the introduction of the Community Award, as testament to the generous spirit of so many individuals who donate their time to community or charitable causes. Chef trainer Leon Seraphin of Beyond Food was announced the winner, for his dedication in training more than 1200 homeless people in the local community with basic culinary skills to support them back into employment.
In tandem with the Community Award, fundraising for Beyond Food Foundation took place throughout the evening, with guests donating an incredible £2,400 to the charity which supports people who are at risk of, or have experienced, homelessness to gain meaningful employment within hospitality.
The winner of the prestigious BaxterStorey Award was announced as Adam Nossek, chef director of retail development. The award recognises an outstanding personality who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the business and wider industry.
During his 18 years with the company Nossek has been instrumental in introducing several food concepts to give customers healthier choices including ‘Food with Soul’ – a deli range which includes flatbreads, salads and protein pots. As well as Healthy Me, 60 recipes of hot food, smoothies and treats that uses evidenced based research to avoid processed ingredients such as high levels of saturated fat, sugar or salt.
Noel Mahony, co-chief executive of BaxterStorey, said, “Adam is a very worthy winner of this Award. He is someone who many look to as a mentor and has supported the development of hundreds of individuals in his career with us. His enthusiasm for food development is infectious and he has encouraged many chefs to put their idea forward, which has culminated in the creation of some of our best loved food concepts.”
The other winners were as follows:
• Health and Safety Champion of the Year – Cheryl Edwards, General Manager
• Chef Manager of the Year – Aurelija Slikaite, Catering manager
• Front of House Star of the Year – Kish Benjamin, Front of House Manager
• Kitchen Porter of the Year – David Gadsby, Kitchen Porter
• Chef of the Year – Steven Wren, Executive Chef
• Manager of the Year – Prisca Marchal, General Manager
• Rising Star of the Year – Mitchell Webb, Learning and Development Co-ordinator
• Innovation of the Year – Equilibrium ‘EQ’ Business Impact Project
• Team of the Year – Louise Herridge, Operations Manager
Alastair Storey, Chairman at BaxterStorey, said, 'BaxterStorey is founded on a deep commitment to training and development. We are passionate about encouraging individuals to progress through quality training and qualifications.
'The Awards showcase the growing talent in our business, and we welcome the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our outstanding people over the past year; who all give so much to the daily satisfaction of our customers.
'I’m incredibly proud of our BaxterStorey family across the UK, Ireland and Northern Europe, and for the dedication they all give in delivering the high standards our clients and customers expect.”
To mark the momentous occasion, John Campbell, chef patron at The Woodspeen, Berkshire, created a special menu celebrating the very best in seasonal British produce. Guests enjoyed corn fed chicken, sweetcorn and tarragon stuffing, courgette, rosemary and tomato sauce. Dessert included strawberry brule´, black olive, basil ice cream, watercress and olive oil.
