These tips will win you a Catey award in 2025

Winning a Catey recognises an individual’s or business’s unparalleled position in the hospitality sector. But that recognition only comes if you’re able to convince the judges that your nomination is worthy of a win above all others.

 

The Cateys judging panels, made up of former award winners and industry experts, look for entries that hit the brief outlined in the criteria, with evidence to back up those claims.

 

And while over the years the judges have received some standout applications, they often receive some which they would have loved to put on the shortlist but are missing that extra ‘something’.

 

So, below we have picked six Catey awards categories and asked our judges what they specifically look for in each so you have the best chance of winning an award. 

 

But, before we deep dive into the insights, all judges agreed the tips below apply to all 23 categories. Read on to ensure your entry has the best possible chance of being shortlisted for – and even winning – a coveted Catey.

 

What are the top tips to win a Catey?

1. You need a clear message. What’s your mission? What problem are you solving? And what impact have you made?
2. Don’t assume the judges know everything about your business. Set the scene and provide context.
3. Keep to the big, impactful achievements – don’t make your submission too long and convoluted
4. Provide additional information: videos, slides, statistics, case studies and feedback from customers, suppliers, partners and participants.
5. Keep the extra information succinct and relevant to the nomination. No one wants to go through 100 slides of data to get to the good stuff
6. Evidence should be recent, ideally from the previous 12-18 months. It is fine to provide evidence from previous years, but make sure you explain why it is relevant
7. Information that reads as if it’s from the marketing department or the inclusion of corporate brochures will not be considered. And if you use ChatGPT, do say so in your submission so judges are aware.
8. Nominations that are cut and pasted are easy to spot – the application should focus on these awards and criteria, not a generic application that has likely been submitted elsewhere.
9. Keep it clear and concise, with plenty of evidence and heart – make it as easy as possible for the judges to spot a stand-out nomination.

 

Best Use of Innovative Technology Award

Harry Ridley, head of technology at Levy

What we look for

• As a judge, we like to see something that is really impactful to users, so ensure you big up how a disruptive solution has benefitted the operator, the customer and/or the client.
• Focus on the element of your solution that has solved problems. Have a clear message of the challenge you are solving and, if you relay that back to your mission statement, that will make your nomination sing.
• Don’t waste your time showcasing the suite of solutions and tools you already have.

The 2024 winner

 

Gather & Gather won for implementing an artificial intelligence solution that increased efficiency at the checkout in its workplace canteens.

 

What Harry Ridley said about the winner “This is the next evolution in enhancing customer experience, reducing queueing and improving operator efficiency while delivering tangible benefits.”

 

Accessibility Award

Ross Calladine, accessibility and inclusion lead for VisitEngland, and government-appointed disability and access ambassador for tourism

What we look for

• When we talk about accessibility, we’re talking about anyone who has an accessibility requirement due to a health condition, physical impairment and/or neurodiversity. It’s always refreshing to read about a business that shows it understands the breadth of accessibility requirements, explains why it is the right thing to do, and why it is good for its bottom line.
• Demonstrate that you have listened to experts and people with lived experience and then acted on feedback to improve customer experience.
• We’re also looking for companies that have completed initiatives on workforce diversity; employs and supports people with different impairments; and fosters a better working environment for them to thrive.
• We applaud applicants who show that the business thinks about the built environment and not just from a physical mobility perspective – maybe the business has completed an interior redesign but thought about the colours and patterns to help people with dementia or neurodiversity.
• Businesses must have prominent and clear information displayed, particularly on the website, about the accessibility of their accommodation – this shouldn’t be buried in the footer. If a business has a designated accessible room, hopefully that’s bookable on the website like any other room and a guest doesn’t have to call and take those extra steps. If we as judges can’t find that information quickly and clearly, that’s a deal-breaker for winning an award.

The 2024 winner

 

Windmill Barns Holiday Lets won for its fully accessible holiday accommodation with 24-hour on-site assistance.

 

What Ross Calladine said about the winner “A great example of visitor accommodation that has the needs of mobility-impaired guests at its very heart.” 

 

Education and Training Award

Angela Maher, chief executive, Savoy Educational Trust

What we look for

• There should be a clear explanation of how the nominee effectively bridges the gap between education and industry, how they work with educational establishments and employers (or vice versa), and what they hope to achieve
• We need supporting evidence that shows how the programmes or initiatives work in practice, along with information or timetables of delivery and numbers of participants.
• Make sure to include evidence that the programme or initiative works and show the outcome and impact.
• We also look for passion for and commitment to the programme or partnership – this can come from the way the application is written but, again, evidence is important. Strong partnerships can be evidenced through long commitment, but effective, innovative new programmes are also good
• We recognise that smaller organisations (or individuals) may have less reach and fewer resources than larger organisations, so we look at how they use their resources to achieve impact

The 2024 winner

 

Peter Jones won for being the founder of Crumbs, a charity that provides hospitality education training to adults with a wide range of learning difficulties, and for being the co-founder of Hotel Future, an apprentice model within a fully functioning commercial hotel.

 

What judge David McKown said about the winner “Peter is a giant of the education sector. His commitment to developing materials, publications and a voice for the sector make him a worthy winner.” 

 

Public Sector Caterer Award

Alison Shedlock, director of campus service – directorate of estates and facilities, University of Manchester

What we look for

• We want to see a passion and a drive to make things better. As this is a public sector award, we want to see what the nominee is doing to make lives better, young and old.
• Including client statements about the impact the nominee has made is powerful.
• Include videos and quotes. If the clients are a school or care home, include voices from the children, care home users and perhaps their families, if you can. It’s about making it personal – you are telling a story

The 2024 winner

 

Paul Robottom, owner of Signature Dining, won for his working practices in hospice care, which included theme days and a multi-sensory approach, and his attitude to employing older workers. 

 

What judge Alison Shedlock said about the winner “Signature Dining is a company that cares and works hard to deliver for its clients and residents. An exemplar in the care sector.”

 

Health and Nutrition Award

Andrew Aston, head of wellness and nutrition, BaxterStorey

What we look for

• We want to know if the business is actively working with organisations to promote healthy eating. Is it collaborating with local and regional suppliers?
• Make sure you highlight efforts that go above and beyond following government guidelines; stating what should be a standard practice and part of the culture is not enough.
• Clearly explain the nutritional value of the food you promote. Include health-conscious menus and recipes and show us transparency on menu labelling.
• If you have a health and wellbeing programme, we want to know how it impacts your own people. A lot of the time, wellbeing plans are for clients and customers, but we also want to know what it’s done for your employees.

Judith Gregory, education catering business manager, Cardiff Council

What we look for

• Make sure you include data to back up your narrative. How many healthy meals have you produced? Has this increased and by how much? And what have you done that has benefited the health and wellbeing of your customers and clients? Show us that with data.

The 2024 winner

 

Signature Dining won for its care home cookery ethos of ‘all cooked from fresh daily’ and its sensitive treatment of people with dementia and dysphagia.

 

What Judith Gregory said about the winner “A worthy winner, enhancing the lives of residents and patients every day through great food, ensuring patients’ families are reassured that their loved ones are well catered for.”

 

Restaurateur of the Year – Group

Iain Donald, restaurant consultant

What we look for

• This award is all about the impact the nominee has had on the sector over the past few years. Make sure to tell us about that person’s journey – how long have they been in previous and current roles, and what successes have they achieved?
• We tend to draw intelligence from press, social media and fellow industry contacts and friends, so we advise the nominee to put themselves out there.
• In today’s climate, we also want to understand if the business has a sustainable future.
• Nominees who clearly care about developing and inspiring their teams always stand out.
• Be wary of submitting a nomination via a PR or marketing department – sometimes those submissions are over-complicated.
• Including financials is great, but sometimes judges can be sceptical – so watch those numbers.

The 2024 winner

 

Nisha Katona, founder of Mowgli Street Food, won for creating a healthy work-life balance for her employees, her low staff turnover, and for bespoke leadership programmes and apprenticeship courses. 

 

What Iain Donald said about the winner “An amazing business led by pure passion.”

 

Read more about how to nominate a person or business for a Catey

• Going for green: The Caterer launches two new Sustainable Business Awards for the Cateys 2025
• How to win a Catey: 9 insider secrets to writing an award-winning entry
• Cateys 2025 launches today – here’s how to enter