The Caterer's 2023 covers show a glimpse of the year in hospitality, including operators from across the UK and incredible illustrations.
2023 is nearly over, so it's time to reflect on the past year. The Caterer has been here to report on the whole spectrum of hospitality, from the latest in the pub and bar sector to exciting new hotel and restaurant launches.
With 50 issues done and dusted for 2023, we've chosen our favourite covers of the year. View the full year of issues here.
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Scroll down to see The Caterer's top magazine covers of 2023
Ben Murphy runs a happy kitchen
National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) Ben Murphy kicked off a year of magazine covers for The Caterer as he shared his secrets to running a happy kitchen at Launceston Place. He dusted himself off from a defeat in Great British Menu to win NCOTY 2023 and found his restaurant fully booked for the new year. We also (as is tradition) rounded up the biggest hotel and restaurant openings we expected for the year – so keep an eye out for the same for 2024.
Our reporter goes Karen…
We sent our nicest reporter Jungmin Seo to get trained in the art of bad service at Karen's Diner. Though editor James Stagg made her take out any c-words from the article, no holds were barred as she insulted children and threw napkins at guests.
Adam Handling on being the bad boy of British TV
Chef Adam Handling had his operations team shaking their heads in his interview with The Caterer magazine as he told his side of the story. From his acrimonious departure from his partnership with the Cadogan to his Great British Menu persona, he really let loose – and with an eye-catching cover to top it all off.
Genuine Dining builds diversification
When we asked Genuine Dining to provide a bit of food for its cover shoot, we didn't expect an entire feast. With salads, quiches and eggs, our cover stars showed they know how to be bold. This attitude comes through in their wider business, with new opportunities offering its staff the space to develop – including two start ups.
Thomas Pass takes over
Thomas Pass made headlines in The Caterer twice this year – once with the beginnings of his brand Culinera, which won Best Newcomer at the Cateys, and again with the launch of contract caterer Thomas & Tate. Our photographer Sarah Lucy Brown was shortlisted in the British Photography Awards for this shot.
Chefs fight back
Invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and American signal crayfish have been a scourge on the UK landscape, and chefs have taken it into their own hands to fight back. Silo's Doug McMaster served up food and beer made from invasive species at a special dinner, while Fallow and Native took a crack at cutting down the landscape's unwanted critters.
Raffles at the OWO
Raffles has made its London home at the Old War Office – the historic building previously the home of government secrets and spies. The grand hotel is one of a slew of luxury launches in the capital this year.
The Sustainability Special
The Caterer went green for its sustainability special, with Crocadon's Dan Cox gracing the cover. In recent years, hospitality operators have worked hard to increase their environmental efforts, and since our first sustainability special in 2019, we recognised the huge leaps that have been taken.
Abby Lee is all fired up
The name on everyone's lips was Abby Lee as she opened Mambow's first bricks-and-mortar site. Lee takes traditional recipes and creates something exciting to her audience, championing Nuonya cuisine while putting her own spin on dishes.
AI is taking over…or is it?
Trying out AI in The Caterer team was a fun – if slightly frightening – endevour. We used Midjourney and ChatGPT to come up with business plans and accompanying imagery to give all the tools to open a restaurant. Critique from the experts showed the tools aren't quite ready to be rolled out in full force, but it provided a basis for some interesting ideas.
