The mark of distinction

This year the Caterer & Hotelkeeper Awards come with more poignancy than usual: they are the last Cateys of this century. As we move inexorably towards the end of the millennium, it is worth pausing to consider how the Cateys have grown in stature over the past 16 years.

Now more than ever, winning a Catey is seen as the most important mark of recognition in an industry that has seen a number of other award events come and go.

The reason that the Cateys enjoy such an enviable position of prominence is not due just to longevity, but to the fact that each category - and there are 15 categories this year - continues to be judged by an independent panel of industry experts. The Cateys are peer-group awards; it is the industry judging the industry.

The panellists who take part in the rigorous selection procedure for each category may be previous Catey winners, or they may be drawn from respected industry bodies such as the Automobile Association.

None of them, however, could complete their task without the assistance of staff at consultantcy Deloitte & Touche, who, in most categories, compile a dossier on each candidate, so "levelling the playing field".

The sponsors, too, are an essential part of the programme. Without their support - and some have attached their name to the Cateys for many years - the awards would not be of the calibre that the industry has come to expect.

And so, as the clock ticks towards the 21st century, we applaud the last Catey winners of this millennium, and we look forward to seeing the Caterer & Hotelkeeper Awards go from strength to strength in the future. n

Forbes Mutch

Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper