Cateys 2016: Public Sector Award

Roger Kellow, government account manager at Hobart UK, is an institution and a friend to many people in the hospitality industry. Mary Wedge, account director of Caterlink, said: "His overwhelming mantra throughout his business and voluntary careers has been 'quality, customer care and attention to detail'.

"Anyone holding those watchwords dear is sure to have made an impact, and indeed he has on the public sector and on all who have had the pleasure to work with or alongside him."

Kellow is a member of the National Association of Care Catering and a past chairman of the association. He has joint responsibility for the Care Cook of the Year competition, an annual training and development forum, and is a long-standing friend and supporter of the Lead Association for Catering in Education (LACA).

LACA's past chair, Carrieanne Bishop, testified in her nomination how Kellow is the only individual to win the LACA Outstanding Supplier Award (in 2015) in his own name rather than a company.

Although Kellow began with a classic hotel and catering background, with a spell as an airline cabin steward where he met his wife, he later moved into the supply side of the industry and has now worked for Hobart UK for 27 years. For Hobart, Kellow is the public sector - he knows and networks with everyone. His work on the project that enabled Hobart UK to be awarded a framework to supply food preparation, prime cooking, warewash and waste disposal equipment to the public sector Government Procurement Service is widely documented.

And Kellow is valued personally for the encouragement he provides to colleagues. As nominator Bishop says: "What Roger doesn't realise is how much of an impact he has on those around him - I was very self-conscious and nervous at my first LACA conference and, had it not been for Roger, I may have spent most of the conference in my room, too nervous to attend the evening events."

Judge Vic Laws concluded: "Roger has done far more for this industry than many others and he should be recognised with a Public Sector Award at the Cateys."

What the judges said

"This award is well deserved for all that he does for so many public sector organisations. He is supportive and totally committed to public-sector catering."

Matthew Merritt-Harrison

"Roger's passion and drive for our industry has influenced many and is without equal, driving us all to strive to do more continuously. Roger's passion and commitment are second to none - and this is not his day job!"

Julie Barker

"He really cares about the public sector and about individual outcomes."

Derek Johnson

The shortlist

• Neel Radia, Raj Foods, the National Association of Care Catering
• Brad Pearce, CATERed
• Roger Kellow, Hobart UK, the National Association of Care Catering

The judges

• Beverley Baker, Head of commercial services, Surrey County Council
• Julie Barker, Director of accommodation and hospitality, University of Brighton, and chair of the University Caterers Organisation
• Vic Laws, Director, AVL Consultancy Ltd
• Derek Johnson, Principal catering manager, Leeds City Council
• Matthew Merritt-Harrison, Managing partner, Merritt-Harrison Catering Consultancy
• Andy Jones, Consultant, HCA member and chair of PS100
• Mary Wedge, Account director, Caterlink