York’s first ever hospitality awards take place next month – and the finalists have just been announced.
Hospitality Association York (HAY) launched the awards to highlight the exceptional individuals that go above and beyond to give a warm welcome and provide a memorable experience to visitors.
Chair of HAY Adam Wardale said: “There are many awards in the region that celebrate the businesses or the leaders and over the years we’ve worked collaboratively to support a number of these initiatives.
“This is something we wanted to get off the ground to recognise and celebrate the people who make our hotels a great place to visit and work.
“Hospitality can be a challenging industry but also very rewarding, the passion and dedication of our teams is a key part of what keeps visitors returning to York and we want to applaud that.”
A celebratory evening to celebrate the finalists and announce the winners will be hosted by Ben Fry, York’s Town Crier and YorkMix presenter, on Thursday 5 September at the Radisson York Hotel.
One of the winners will be decided by a public vote from YorkMix readers and listeners.
Adam continued: “A huge thank you to our judging panel for their time and hard work, also to our headline sponsors Mint People, Radisson Hotel York, YorkMix and Make it York, and to the many other individuals and businesses in and around the city who have supported our ambition to launch these awards.
“Congratulations to all of the finalists, and we look forward to celebrating with you on the 5 September.”
A panel of four esteemed judges had the incredibly difficult task of selecting the finalists and winners from the many high calibre entries.
The judges are:
- Polly Bennett (Little Vikings)
- Brendan Paddison (York St John University)
- Alicia Stabler (aka Mad Alice, The Bloody Tour of York)
- and Eleanor Bryson (Make It York).
And here are the finalists they have chosen for the first HAY Hospitality Awards.
Back of House Hero (sponsored by York BID)
- Nigel White (Middlethorpe Hall Hotel & Spa)
- Valentina Semeraro (Radisson York)
- Kate Cameron (The Grand)
Hospitality Apprentice (sponsored by York College)
- Aida Makniene (Radisson York)
- Alvarro Torress (Delta Hotel York)
- Anthony Michaelides (Delta Hotel York)
Hospitality Team (sponsored by Johnny Ross Music)
- Group, Conference & Events Team (Hilton)
- Forest Team (Galtres Lodge Hotel)
- Kitchen (Radisson York)
Lifetime Achievement (sponsored by Elite Event Solutions)
- Ted Fenney (Hilton)
- Paul Harrison (Middlethorpe Hall Hotel & Spa)
- Suzanne Cowling (Galtres Lodge Hotel)
Most Promising Chef (sponsored by Mint hospitality and events people)
- Emily Benton (Dean Court)
- Hubert Amankwah (Malmaison)
- Alex French (Middlethorpe Hall Hotel & Spa)
People’s Choice – YorkMix Public Vote
- Sam Kitching (Radisson York)
- Tom Dobson-Walker (The Principal)
- Jonathan Robertson (Middletons Hotel)
Rising Star (sponsored by Your Creative Sauce)
- Sophie England (The Principal)
- Mariana Kachun (Middlethorpe Hall Hotel & Spa)
- Caitlin Taylor (The Elmbank)
Serving Superstar (sponsored by York Gin)
- Gergo Laszlo (Dean Court)
- Alex Razey (Radisson York)
- Anna Czarnik (Middletons Hotel)
Sparkle award (sponsored by Ignite Concerts)
- Tamasne Dajnics ‘Magdi’ (Hilton)
- Nicola Hannington (The Elmbank)
- Ek Raj (The Grand)
Star Behind the Bar (sponsored by Ellers Farm Distillery – Dutch Barn)
- Matthew Briggs (Radisson York)
- Josh Robinson (Doubletree by Hilton)
- Christine Moore (Hilton)
Unsung Hero (sponsored by Little Vikings)
- Jamie Wilson (Radisson York)
- Sarah Smith (The Principal)
- Shirley Fletcher (Hilton)
Warm Welcome (sponsored by City Cruises)
- Frank Caulfield (Dean Court)
- Wayne Brady (The Grand)
- Oleksandra Bilotserkivets (Hilton)
