The Cateys 2026 sponsor spotlight: Rushton’s

 

A menu is a promise. It tells diners what to expect, signals a kitchen’s ambition and reveals something about where the food actually comes from. But menus are written long before service. They start in the field.

 

That’s why sponsoring the Menu of the Year Award at this year’s Cateys feels like a natural fit for Rushton’s. This is one of the most ingredient-led categories in hospitality’s most prestigious awards programme, a recognition of chefs who don’t just cook beautifully, but source with intention and tell the story of what’s on the plate.

 

We see that story unfold every day. Working with chefs across London, we’re privileged to be part of the conversation that shapes what ends up on the pass. Which varieties are at their peak. What’s come in from a specific farm. What’s worth building a dish around this week, not next.

 

Menu development, at its best, is collaborative, and increasingly, it’s built on trust between kitchen and supplier. Our job is to earn that trust. We source with precision, advise with accuracy and deliver with consistency. Whether it’s a heritage tomato variety for a tasting menu or reliable daily volumes for a high-cover operation, we help chefs translate seasonality into menus that perform.

 

Sustainability is central to how we operate. Rushton’s holds ISO 14001 certification, sends zero waste to landfill and continues to invest in compostable packaging and lower-impact logistics. These aren’t add-ons. They’re part of the standard.

 

We’re also part of something larger. Rushton’s sits within the Thorogood group, a family business with more than a century in the trade and a working asparagus farm in Essex still producing today. That connection to the land isn’t heritage for the sake of it. It shapes how we think about provenance, seasonality and what it means to supply produce with integrity.

 

The Menu of the Year Award celebrates chefs who bring all of this together: creativity, sourcing and the confidence to let ingredients lead. We’re proud to stand behind that and to recognise the kitchens pushing British hospitality forward, one menu at a time.