Hotel Cateys 2025: Hotel Restaurant Manager of the Year – Marco Pittella, Ham Yard hotel

Ham Yard, the modern European restaurant and bar at the Ham Yard hotel in London’s West End, was looking for a way to boost its external custom so it wasn’t just relying on the patronage of overnight guests.

Restaurant manager Marco Pittella was instrumental in finding that solution, introducing initiatives such as the Long Lunch on Sundays. Since its implementation, lunch covers increased by 125%, became the busiest lunch service of the week and contributed an average of 90 covers to the 2,600-plus people heading into the hotel oasis tucked away behind Piccadilly Circus every week.

In fact, in the two years since Pittella joined Ham Yard, the restaurant has managed to register growth across all meals. He has adjusted the set menu price to tempt in evening trade, directed guests to the outside courtyard when the weather allowed, and allowed guests to just order drinks rather than a full meal. As a result, average spend remained consistent for lunch (£37 per person) and dinner (£60 per person) – especially impressive given the cost of living crisis.

Breakfast has been transformed due to Pittella taking increased external bookings and using spaces such as the hotel’s terrace and orangery, as well as partnering with Ham Yard’s executive head chef Jamie Atkinson to add dishes such as salt beef hash with poached duck egg and acai bowls to the menu, alongside smoothies, matcha and turmeric drinks. Pittella also showcased his love of tableside presentation, such as personally shaving truffle theatrically for guests. 

He believes in sharing knowledge and loves to train his team of 35 employees on food, drink and service trends, plus a few ‘old-fashioned’ skills, including his beloved dessert trolley, which he calls “hospitality magic”. He is passionate about mentoring and showing colleagues the level of guest care required to build loyalty, through researching guest likes and preferences and bringing any findings to team briefings so that colleagues can really ‘wow’ diners. He also personally takes team members under his wing, including recently promoting two commis waiters to floor waiters.

Through his inspirational leadership, with an attention to detail that’s second to none, he has achieved goals for the whole team. It’s therefore no wonder he is the Hotel Restaurant Manager of the Year.

What the judges said

“Marco has a huge amount of passion for his team, hotel and the wider hospitality industry. He has been pivotal in innovating new initiatives to drive the business forward as well as coaching and mentoring a highly engaged team.”

Jennifer McCabe

“Marco demonstrated strong innovation with great team initiatives. He is very business-minded.”

Knut Wylde

The shortlist

• Marina Brook, Woven by Adam Smith, Coworth Park, Ascot, Berkshire
• Enzo Buonocore, the Ritz London
• Abigail Maclean, the Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye
• Marco Pittella, Ham Yard hotel, London

The judges

• Melissa Fergus, Mauro Colagreco at Raffles London at the OWO
• Simon Girling, the Ritz London
• Jennifer McCabe, art’otel London Battersea Power Station
• Laura Sharpe, Firmdale Hotels
• Knut Wylde, Wylde Hospitality