Back to the Floor raises record-breaking £405,000 for Hospitality Action

Senior figures from across the hospitality industry raised a record-breaking £405,000 for UK charity Hospitality Action at Back to the Floor.

The event saw over 100 hospitality leaders, including The Caterer’s very own James Stagg and Caroline Baldwin, donning aprons to serve three-course meals to 600 guests at London Hilton on Park Lane on Friday (20 March).

Tej Walia, managing director at Foxhills Club & Resort, was crowned the winner of the night, having earned an incredible £20,269 in tips.

The 2026 event also marked a major milestone as the total funds raised across all seven Back to the Floor dinners surpassed £1m, making it Hospitality Action’s most successful fundraising initiative to date.

Back to the Floor was co-founded by Danny Pecorelli, managing director at Exclusive Collection, in 2013 with just 20 waiters and 160 guests.

This year, the event was hosted by James B. Clarke, general manager at London Hilton on Park Lane, and saw the likes of Franck Arnold, 2025 Hotelier of the Year and managing director and regional vice-president of the Savoy; Sally Beck, general manager of the Royal Lancaster; and Robin Hutson, chief executive of Lime Wood Group, battling it out to earn the most tips.

Mark Lewis, chief executive at Hospitality Action, said: “Sometimes I have to pinch myself because when I look around at extraordinary events like this, I am in total awe of the willingness of so many people coming together for the greater good. We are incredibly lucky to work in such an energised and vibrant industry, and the eagerness to support our own is palpable.

“Hospitality is an industry that so many people love being part of, but for others it can also present real challenges. It is for those colleagues that Hospitality Action exists, and we will never stop continuing to provide the support, care and assistance they need when times get tough.”

Pecorelli, winner of the Outstanding Contribution Award at the 2025 Hotel Cateys, added: “Back to the Floor was an extraordinary night and one I’ll remember forever. I’m hugely grateful to every waiter, sommelier, sponsor, donor and guest who helped raise such an incredible amount. The generosity and energy in the room were remarkable, and the funds raised will make a real, life-changing difference for so many.”