John Williams and Philippe Rossiter win top honours at AA Awards 2017
John Williams, executive chef of the Ritz London, and Philippe Rossiter, who formerly headed the Institute of Hospitality, led the list of winners at the AA Hospitality Awards 2017.
Held at the Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott hotel, in London tonight, the event - the 20th in the AA's history - saw awards handed out to winners in 20 categories, as well as honouring the winners of newly bestowed four and five rosettes and five red stars.
Williams, the Catey Special Award winner 2017, was named Chef of the Year, nearly 12 months after the Ritz was awarded a Michelin star. Andrew Oxley, head of hotel & hospitality services at the AA said: "John's remarkable career is an example to anyone who wants to become the very best in the culinary world."
Meanwhile, Philippe Rossiter, picked up the award for the AA Lifetime Achievement Award. Rossiter, who retired in 2012 after spending 10 years as chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality and stepped down as executive secretary of the Master Innholders earlier this year, was honoured for what Oxley described as his "passion for hospitality".
To mark his 70th birthday, Rossiter ran both the Paris and London marathons and also walked between the two cities to raise money for hospitality charities Springboard and Hospitality Action .
The full list of AA award winners for 2017 were:
AA Hotel of the Year
AA Hotel of the Year for England - The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath
AA Hotel of the Year for London - The Goring
AA Hotel of the Year for Scotland - Douneside House, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire
AA Hotel of the Year for Wales - Twr Y Felin Hotel, St Davids, Pembrokeshire
AA Hotel of the Year for Northern Ireland - The Old Inn, Bangor, Co Down
AA Restaurant of the Year
AA Restaurant of the Year for England - The Freemasons at Wiswell, Clitheroe, Lancashire
AA Restaurant of the Year for London - Elystan Street, London
AA Restaurant of the Year for Scotland - The Dining Room, Edinburgh
AA Restaurant of the Year for Wales - Beach House Restaurant at Oxwich Beach, Swansea
AA Pub of the Year
AA Pub of the Year for England - the Bell at Ramsbury, near Marlborough, Wiltshire
AA Pub of the Year for Scotland - the Bow Bar, Edinburgh
AA Pub of the Year for Wales - Bryn Tyrch, Conwy
AA Chef of the Year
John Williams, executive chef, the Ritz London
AA Housekeeper of the Year Award
Tzveta Ivanova, the Milestone Hotel, London
AA Eco Hotel of the Year
Oakley Court, Windsor , Berkshire
AA Wine Award
AA Wine Award for England - Five Fields, London
AA Wine Award for Scotland - Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder
AA Wine Award for Wales and overall winner - Ynyshir, Eglwys Fach, Powys
AA College Restaurant of the Year
South Cheshire College, Crewe
AA Foodservice Award
Three Chimneys, Colbost, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye
AA Customer Choice
The Savoy, London
AA Hotel Group of the Year
Andrew Brownsword Hotels
AA Lifetime Achievement Award
Philippe Rossiter, former chief executive, Institute of Hospitality
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