Finalists announced for the BIH spotlight awards
The annual Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) Spotlight Awards – which recognise exceptional black and ethnic minority talent across the UK’s hospitality, food and drink sectors – has announced its finalists for this year.
This final stage of the contest – only the fifth ever to take place – includes accomplished businesses and individuals such as Michelin-starred West African restaurant Chishuru (owned by Adejoké Bakare, pictured, left), Michael Wan’s Mandarin (owned by Pauline Lai-Thomas, pictured, centre) and Masterchef Champion Jhané Gibson (pictured, right)
BIH will be joined by headline sponsor OpenTable at Quaglino’s in London on Monday 12 October for a ceremony announcing the winners across all 15 categories.
Returning sponsors Moët Hennessy, Decanter, Rémy Cointreau, Caterer.com and Deliveroo, along with new faces Unox, Roxy Leisure and Electrolux Professional will also be in attendance.
Winners will be selected from a shortlist of 60 finalists by an independent panel of hospitality leaders including: Shereen Ritchie, MD of Kuvi Hospitality; Clement Ogbonnaya MBE, founder of the Village People Pub Company; and Junior Lewis, global hospitality client consultant at Caterer.com, alongside other senior industry leaders.
Additionally, voting for the People's Choice awards is now open.
Commenting on the awards, Lorraine Copes, founder of BIH, said: “The BIH Spotlight Awards celebrate some of the very best talent in our sector, but they also shine a light on the breadth of opportunities that hospitality offers.
“This year's finalists demonstrate that there is no single route into our industry or to success. Whether you aspire to be a chef, restaurateur, general manager, people professional, or drinks expert, hospitality offers rewarding careers for people with a wide range of skills, ambitions and backgrounds. I hope these finalists inspire the next generation to see what is possible.”
The full shortlist of finalists includes:
Individual Categories
Chef of the Year — Sponsored by Caterer.com
• Kareem Roberts — The Burleigh Arms
• Chinelo Awa — Good Cake Day
• Kanthi Thamma — The Spice Circuit/Tiger Eats
• Ayesha Kalaji — Queen of Cups
Rising Star — Sponsored by Matthew Clark Bibendum
• N'jhell Wilson, General Manager — Bleecker
• Natalia Middleton, Head of Food Education — Food Behind Bars
• Dijön Bascombe, Chef & Founder — Dijön Cafe, London
• Jhané Gibson — Chef
Writer of the Year
• Ankita Neotia — Crispy Compass
• Safiya Robinson — Sisterwoman
• Anna Ansari
• Ruchira Neotia — Ruchira's Table
Wine Professional of the Year — Sponsored by Decanter
• Anoushica Matthews — MJ Wine Cellars & Sweet Spice
• Shehnaz Hansraj — Presenter of A–Z of Wine with Shehnaz
• Emmanuel Mireku — Manny Does Wine
• Toni Osoba — Toni's Wine Club
Beverage Professional of the Year —Sponsored by Moët Hennessy U.K
• Eron Mibo — Tales & Tails
• Marverine Cole — Accredited Beer Sommelier
• Ruchira Neotia — Drinks Consultant
• Marcy Ecoue — Marcy’s Mixes
Head Office Impact — Sponsored by Unox
• Kethi Taitt, Senior Human Resources Officer — The Park Tower Knightsbridge
• Patsy Ankrah, Inclusion and Diversity Lead — Nando's UK & Ireland
• Bertha Dewi, People & Culture Manager — The Wolseley Hospitality Group
• Priya Narain, Head of Purpose & Programmes — KERB+
Cuisine Categories
African Food — Sponsored by The Voice
• Chishuru
• Gwafu Vegan
• Shwen Shwen
• The Flygerians
Caribbean Food — Sponsored by The Voice
• 2210 by NattyCanCook
• Paradise Cove
• Windrush Cuisine
• Jam Delish
East and Southeast Asian Food
• Michael Wan's Mandarin
• Poon's London
• Namo
• Liu Xiaomian
South Asian Food
• Bindas Eatery
• Darjeeling Express
• Rinku Dutt
• Third Culture Kat
Middle Eastern Food
• Queen of Cups
• Fattoush, Leicester
• Mouna's Kitchen
• Samarkand Palav
Business Categories
Bar/Pub of the Year — Sponsored by OpenTable
• House of MOBO
• Bar Lotus
• The Regency Club
• Tiki Bar Restaurant
Brand of the Year — Sponsored by Electrolux Professional
• Borough 22 Doughnuts
• Flake Bake
• Chaps
• 2210 by NattyCanCook
People's Choice Categories
People's Choice Person of the Year — Sponsored by Deliveroo
• Nathaniel Mortley — 2210 by NattyCanCook
• Chris Ilankovan — MOTHER Canteen
• Sting Khumalo — The Biltmore Mayfair
• Jocelyn Wong — Canopy by Hilton London City
People's Choice Restaurant of the Year — Sponsored by OpenTable
• Darjeeling Express
• Chuku's
• Cavita Restaurant
• Chishuru
Voting for the People’s Choice awards will close on 14th August at 11:59pm, and is avaliable through the link here.
Tickets for the BIH Spotlight Awards can be purchased here, with 350 spots available.
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