Group Restaurateur of the Year
The winner of this year's Group Restaurateur award will have a few hard acts to follow. Previous recipients include some of the most innovative and talked-about operators of the 1990s: people who have successfully built up branded restaurant groups that have helped change the face of dining out in the UK over the past few years.
Last year's winners were Adam and Sam Kaye, founders of the now 70-strong pizza and pasta chain Ask Central. The brothers were honoured for their achievement in building the group from scratch and firmly establishing the Ask name in the minds of the public in just six years. The judges were impressed by the quality and consistency of the food and service at Ask, which are often favourably compared to that of PizzaExpress, its longer-established rival in the middle market.
Also central to the award was Ask's financial performance. Its profits in 1998 almost doubled to more than £4m, on sales of nearly £24m. Since winning the Catey, it has gone from strength to strength. Half-year profits for the first six months of last year were up by 76% at £2.8m and turnover rose by 75% to £17.6m. Analysts are predicting annual turnover for 1999 of £36m, and £50m for 2000.
The company also continued its move outside the London area, adding in November six restaurants in the Home Counties, bought from defunct chain Orange Balloon for £2.35m. And all this in a sector which is already seen as being crowded.
Earlier winners of this Catey include David Page, chief executive of PizzaExpress, who took the trophy in 1996, Jeremy Mogford of Browns in 1997, and Neville Abraham and Laurence Isaacson of Chez Gérard in 1998. Like the Kayes, Isaacson and Abraham won the award for the way they built a successful chain from scratch in just 12 years. Also like Ask, they managed to maintain consistency at the same time as they were expanding.
The judges of the Catey Awards 2000 will be looking for the same qualities among this year's nominees. They will be able to demonstrate sound marketing skills, well-thought-out systems and a consistently high quality of service and food - not forgetting that they will generate the kind of profits which prove that their restaurants are a success.
Nominations can come from any sector of the industry, be they roadside diners, café bars, upmarket groups or ethnic restaurant groups. And remember that, although this award is often won by restaurateurs who have long experience in the industry, this is not vital. What is certain, though, is that the winner will have made a recent impact on the group restaurant scene in the UK.
To obtain a nomination form telephone Sarah Sutton on 020 8652 8349. If you like, include a supporting statement of no more than 200 words on a separate sheet of paper. Closing date for nominations is Friday 3 March and judging will take place at the London Marriott, County Hall, on Tuesday 2 May.
