Best Chef

Entrants can be from any market sector. Emphasis will be placed on technique, quality of product, management and innovation. They must be setting inspirational standards and contributing to the industry through activities such as training, education and lobbying.

What are the judges looking for?

• Ethically aware – food provenance / product awareness initiatives
• Evidence of training and development
• Technical competence
• Financial stability

Best Hotel

Entrants can be businesses of any size and must demonstrate outstanding success in their market sector. They must be setting standards which are inspiring to the hotel industry. There will be particular emphasis on consistency of standards.

What are the judges looking for?

• Financial stability
• Prominence within market sector
• Leading edge in terms of service delivery
• Consistency of product and service

Best Restaurant

Entrants can be businesses of any size and must demonstrate outstanding success in their market sector. They must combine high culinary and service standards with commercial success. They must be setting standards which are inspiring to the restaurant industry.

What are the judges looking for?

• Financial stability
• Prominence within market sector
• Leading edge in terms of service delivery
• Consistency of product and service

Best Pub

Entrants can be businesses of any size and must demonstrate outstanding success in their market sector. They can be tenanted, managed or independent pub businesses. They must be setting standards which are inspiring to the pub industry for food, drink and service.

What are the judges looking for?

• Consistency of product and service
• Financial stability
• Prominence within market sector

Best Bar

Entrants can be businesses of any size and must demonstrate outstanding success in their market sector. They must be setting standards which are inspiring to the Bar industry. They must demonstrate consistent levels of product and service as well as innovation within their sector.

What are the judges looking for?

• Innovation, product and service
• Prominence within the market sector
• Leading edge in terms of service and standards
• Financial stability

Best Newcomer

Entrants will be hospitality industry entrepreneurs whose businesses will have had a positive impact upon their market sector. Their business will have been operating for less than three years on 7 April 2008. Their business will have established a reputation for quality of product and service.

What are the judges looking for?

• Financial stability
• Innovation, product & service

Best Chef Mentor

Best cooking tip for a junior: "Find a good practical chef to train under, learn and listen to everything you are being told or shown". This award is to help identify, promote and reward the talent and contribution of someone who consistently communicates their knowledge and skills with enthusiasm and care to trainee chefs.

What are the judges looking for?

• Chef experience
• Success with young trainees
• Structured framework for training

Best Wine Offering

Entrants can be from any market sector. Emphasis will be placed on choice of wines, by glass and by bottle, and selections for cocktails, pre dinner and dessert.

What are the judges looking for?

• Quality & structure of the wine list
• Ability to inspire customers in their choice of wine

• 1. Please supply a short biography:
• 2. What previous awards have you won:
• 3. Please demonstrate your business ethos relating to your food:
• 4. Demonstrate your approach to introducing innovation within your menu styles and operations:
• 5. Highlight your framework for skills training, team development and leading edge service:
• 6. What is the future of food?:
• 7. Who do you use as your benchmark or aspire to as an individual?:
• 8. What is your biggest achievement?:

• 1. Describe your hotel in less than 100 words?:
• 2. Percentage Business Split – conference & events / B&B / leisure:
• 3. What sets you aside from the competition:
• 4. Indicate the activities within your business which highlight your approach to sustainability?:
• 5. Evidence of staff training & customer service:
• 6. What are your plans for the next five years?:
• 7. Who do you benchmark against within the industry sector:

• 1. What type of restaurant do you have – independent / chain / managed?:
• 2. Describe your restaurant in less than 100 words:
• 3. Please supply evidence of training and development practices:
• 4. Please demonstrate your approach to highlighting seasonality and provenance within your business and your link to the wider community:
• 5. How do you ensure high levels of customer service:
• 6. What marketing or promotional activity do you have planned or recently carried out?:
• 7. What are your plans for the next 2 years?:
• 8. Who do you benchmark against within the industry sector?:

• 1. What type of pub do you have – freehouse / managed / tenanted?:
• 2. Describe your pub in less than 100 words:
• 3. Describe your food & drink offering:
• 4. What marketing or promotional activity do you have planned or recently carried out?:
• 5. Please supply evidence of staff training and good customer service?:
• 6. What involvement do you have with the local community:
• 7. What are your plans for next five years:

• 1. What type of bar do you have – independent or chain?:
• 2. Describe your bar in less than 100 words:
• 3. Describe your offering in terms of product and service:
• 4. What marketing or promotional activity do you have planned or recently carried out?:
• 5. Please supply evidence of training & development:
• 6. What are your plans for the next 5 years:
• 7. Who in the industry do you benchmark your establishment against?:

• 1. What type of outlet do you have – hotel / restaurant / bar / other?:
• 2. Is it independent / chain / managed? :
• 3. Please supply a brief history of the establishment:
• 4. Please supply a short biography of the key players:
• 5. Describe your establishment in less than 100 words:
• 6. Who is your customer:
• 7. What marketing or promotional activity do you have planned or recently carried out?:
• 8. What are your plans for the next 2-5 years:

• 1. Please supply a short biography:
• 2. How many trainees have you got working in your kitchen:
• 3. Please give detail of any success you have had with young chefs:
• 4. Please summarise your training ethos in less than 100 words:
• 5. Describe your framework for skills training and team development:
• 6. Who do you aspire to as an individual:

• 1. What type of outlet do you have – hotel / restaurant / bar / other? :
• 2. Is it independent / chain / managed?:
• 3. Who is responsible for choosing the wine list – please give name and job title:
• 4. Please give details of your wine list:
  o Number of bins
  o Number of countries
  o Number of grape varieties
• 5. Please give details of wines you have available by the glass or half bottle?:
• 6. Please give details of Champagnes/Sparkling Wines available by the bottle or glass?:
• 7. Do you have a separate list for private functions or banqueting? If yes please give details:
• 8. Give details of any promotions you have done around your wine offering ie wine tastings, special offers, bin ends, proprietor recommendations:
• 9. What staff training do you have in place to provide food and wine matching or recommendations?:
• 10. Have you won any previous awards for your wine list? If yes what improvements or changes have you made since?:

Supporting Material

If you would like to supply additional material such as menus, photos, samples of promotional material or press cuttings/reviews please email them directly to lynsey.challinor@moorfieldmedia.co.uk.

Alternatively you can save them to CD or send hard copies by post to

Lynsey Challinor
Moorfield Media
2nd Floor, Virginia House
Great Ancoats Street
Manchester
M4 5AD

Customer testimonials

• Customer testimonial #1:
• Customer testimonial #2:
• Customer testimonial #3:
• Customer testimonial #4:
• Customer testimonial #5: