Hotel Cateys 2018: Hotel Chef of the Year (more than 250 covers) – Robert Bates, the Belfry Hotel & Resort

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The judges celebrated many of the ways that Robert Bates proved himself worthy of this year's award, but one summed it up when they described him as a "true hotel chef". Bates has taken the Belfry and made marked improvements through hard work and dedication, managing margins, getting the best out of his team and giving true quality to his customers.

In particular, much was made of his ability to turn the site around and offer a boost to its reputation after some difficult years.