Meet the 2022 Acorn Award winners

This year’s brightest 30 under 30, celebrated their successes at the winners’ weekend event, held at Rudding Park

 

In the lead up to the Queen’s platinum jubilee, The Caterer held its own celebrations by bringing together this year’s Acorn Award winners at Rudding Park, the privately owned luxury hotel in Harrogate.

 

With 90 bedrooms and suites, a destination spa, multiple restaurants, a kitchen garden, private cinema, two golf courses and conference and events space, the host venue, set in 300 acres of landscaped gardens and woodland, allowed the winners to put the abundance of flowers and plants it cultivates to good use during a cocktail masterclass and crown-making session.

 

Rudding Park’s bar manager Jordan Sweeney led the Acorns on a taste journey during his cocktail masterclass. He demonstrated how to stretch two ingredients in his creative class – raspberries and coffee – in juices, kombucha and spirits for the winners to sample.

 

A walk through the grounds provided the winners with an opportunity to discover the hotel’s extensive kitchen garden, which is used by Rudding Park head chefs Eddie Gray and Callum Bowmer and their teams in providing the freshest ingredients for both the Clocktower and Horto restaurants.

 

The ‘crowning’ ceremony saw the teams collect flowers, plants and foliage from the estate, ready to be turned into Jubilee crowns, with the teams delivering presentations on the concept behind each of their crowns and why the Queen would choose their design.

 

The rooftop spa was a social space for the Acorn winners to unwind with a range of hydrotherapy and thermal experiences, while the Escape Zone offered a peaceful space for a range of treatments. And on the Sunday evening the winners and the team from CH&Co enjoyed a barbecue cooked in view of the Jupiter bust and gardens alongside the library.

 

Rudding Park’s managing director Peter Banks and hotel manager Nuno César de Sá were both on hand all weekend for individual tours and insights into the history of the hotel.

 

Monday morning commenced with a reviving breakfast followed by individual portrait shots and a group winners’ photo call in the hotel’s stunning gardens. Following the Acorn Awards presentation lunch the winners heard from two previous Acorn Award winners – and to date, the only father and daughter recipients – Charlotte Horler, deputy general manager of the Grand Birmingham, and James Horler, chief executive of Ego Restaurants and chairman of Notes Music & Coffee and Ping Pong.

 

The Horlers provided the winners with an entertaining and theatrical description of their experiences in hospitality, offering an insight into the changes that have taken place and the opportunities the industry provides in terms of traditional and entrepreneurial career progression.

 

“It was wonderful to be able to welcome 30 future hospitality titans to Rudding Park at the end of May,” Banks said. “Having met them, we can all sleep easy: the future of our industry is in safe hands.”

 

Miles Baxter, 39, group general manager, Houston & Hawkes

 

Miles Baxter’s career to date has been exceptional. He has quickly risen up the ranks to become a senior manager with his current employer and runs some of the contract caterer’s most prestigious contracts. He joined BaxterStorey in 2014, after graduating from Edge Hotel School in Colchester. Here, his natural ability to build strong performing teams saw him advance up the career ladder from assistant manager to general manager, overseeing a team of 24 and a £1m turnover contract. By 2018, he had been made general manager of a larger contract, building it into one of BaxterStorey’s flagship sites, with a turnover of £2m.

 

In 2021, he joined the management team of Houston & Hawkes, overseeing a golf club. It was a challenging contract for the caterer, but by creating a high-performing team, being creative and clear in his vision and demonstrating tenacity, Baxter has achieved 45% year-on-year sales growth for the site. As a result of Baxter’s efforts, the rate of absenteeism at the site has been reduced by 31%, while employee turnover is running at an all-time low of 7%.

 

In addition, he has supported mobile network operator Three UK in getting its new headquarters in Reading (which is occupied by 1,000 workers) up and running, and is leading the mobilisation of an office in London populated by 900 staff. Keen to give back, Baxter has two mentees in the business and has been a huge advocate of industry charities through his fundraising work for Hospitality Action and becoming an ambassador for Springboard.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“I want a team that enjoys coming to work, so I spend most of my time working with my colleagues to understand how I can help them pursue their personal or professional goals. I like to make training fun, and work closely with our suppliers to ensure we offer the best and most rewarding engagement.”

 

Lily Bell, 28, account manager, BaxterStorey

 

Lily Bell joined BaxterStorey as a trainee manager at its Visa site, one of the foodservice provider’s flagship London locations. In just four years, her progression has been outstanding. She has risen from departmental manager, overseeing a team of six with an annual sales target of £600,000, to deputy manager, managing a team of 23 and with a £1.3m target.

 

She secured the role of account manager in 2021, overseeing the whole Visa contract and catering services at Paddington, Reading and Basingstoke, along with the vending services in Belfast and East Kilbride – no mean feat during a global pandemic.

 

At the tender age of 28, she now heads a team of 32 with an annual turnover of £2.5m. Never one to rest on her laurels, Bell started a senior leader master’s degree apprenticeship in January.

 

As an illustration of her business acumen, she proposed and managed the transition of the Visa contract from a commercial model to cost-plus, saving her client £435,561 in operating subsidy for 2021 as a result. Understanding the shift in workplace dining since the pandemic, she responded positively, introducing apposite technology such as digital signage and labelling, contactless self-serve areas, and a 24-hour click and collect service.

 

But it’s not all about the bottom line. She is a mental health first-aider, BaxterStorey’s first ‘patch wellbeing and mental health ambassador’, and one of her initiatives is a 30-minute Friday morning walk, where she takes her team out on a stroll during which they talk about anything.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Promote positive thinking and positive actions, collectively and individually, allowing every team member to feel valued and supported. A positive work environment encourages communication and collaboration, meaning team members are involved in decisions, able to be creative and have autonomy within their role, leading to happiness and fulfilment.”

 

Connor Black, 25, head chef, the Bull & Bear, Manchester

 

Connor Black’s astonishing rise to head chef of a Tom Kerridge restaurant at the age of 25 is a huge achievement and one that now inspires his kitchen team.

 

It all started in 2012 when Black, aged 15, wrote a letter to chef-patron Kerridge asking for work experience at the two-Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers pub in Marlow. After a week in the kitchen, he so impressed Kerridge that he was offered an apprenticeship and, within a year, had worked his way up to demi chef.

 

Seeking to broaden his skills, Black moved to Australia in 2015 to work as a chef de partie under Grant King at Gastro Park in Sydney, which had two hats (the Michelin-star equivalent). He took in a few other kitchens while he was in the city and was on the opening team of seafood restaurant Cirrus Dining as junior sous chef, which went on to win two hats in its first six months.

 

Armed with a great CV, Black returned to the UK in 2017 and worked in several of Kerridge’s kitchens. Highlights include taking on the joint role of head chef of the Shed (the Hand & Flowers’ private dining room), and sous chef of the Hand & Flowers itself in 2019, before landing his current role.

 

Despite his youth, Black is heavily involved in mentoring colleagues and offers students at Manchester College the chance to work in his fast-paced kitchen. He is also a keen supporter of Hospitality Action.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Communicating with my team on a level that makes them part of the process, and giving them a chance to create alongside me.”

 

Jordan Burdall, 28, golf academy and retail manager, Rudding Park, Harrogate

 

Jordan Burdall joined Rudding Park as a golf assistant in 2018. Swiftly identified as a ‘shining star’, he was promoted to his current role in 2019, with responsibility for a shop, driving range and function room, with a team of five.

 

At a time when golf was showing a decline, he embraced the challenge, and the Rudding Park hotel is now reaping the rewards. Under Burdall’s leadership, retail sales have increased by 169% to £350,000 in 2021, and he is hungry to hit £500,000.

 

His talent lies in adapting to new market forces and innovating. Examples include his investing in the TrackMan Range golf-ball tracking system and online golf-bay booking. Close to 5,000 customers signed up for bay booking, enabling the club to communicate with them via online accounts. He also launched a range bar to give guests a new experience, tapping into the ‘10-pin bowling for golf’ concept, and introduced robot ball collectors to create efficiencies and reduce payroll. Not least, he ensured his team were given refresher training to boost product knowledge and enable them to increase sales.

 

To help the community at large, Burdall’s team works with Golf in Society, a social enterprise initiative aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of an ageing population by introducing them to golf.

 

As for management style, Burdall has built a culture of trust. If he says he will take action, then his team know he will follow up – even if an issue can’t be resolved straight away.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Engaging positively with my team daily makes them feel respected and appreciated and is then reflected in their work ethic and in making them feel important in their role.”

 

Josh Chadwick, 26, hotel manager, The Tawny hotel, Consall, Staffordshire

 

Josh Chadwick’s first big responsibility was at Hogarths hotel near Solihull as assistant brasserie manager, a venue with accolades including two AA rosettes and Midlands Restaurant of the Year. Somehow, during this time he also managed to complete a degree, achieving a first.

 

By 21, he was managing 80 staff in the £5m-turnover events, bars and hospitality areas at Drayton Manor Resort, Tamworth. During his time in this role, he improved the staff satisfaction score by 36% and exceeded the turnover target for the department by £100,000. In 2021, he helped open the UK’s first ‘deconstructed hotel’, joining the Tawny as hotel manager, overseeing a team of 120.

 

Many awards have followed. The hotel was ranked in the prestigious The Times Top 100 Hotels within the first three months of opening and was accorded a 9/10 rating by The Telegraph. Within two months, Burdall was achieving 92% occupancy from direct bookings.

 

Indeed, by operating without using online travel agents the hotel generates more profit that it can invest back into the Tawny, its team and its marketing. In addition, Chadwick’s strong marketing campaigns ensure the hotel attracts 35% of its visitors from London – an unusual demographic for Staffordshire – and it’s part of his vision to put the whole area on the map.

 

As for his team, in the past 12 months, he has worked with HIT Training to deliver apprenticeships and short courses for colleagues to develop into new roles, resulting in an impressive staff retention rate of 86%.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“It comes from creating a great culture. Whether it be from group catch-ups over a morning coffee, to investing time and effort in their personal development, each element helps shape an engaged and motivated team.”

 

Graeme Cumine, 29, restaurant manager, L’Enclume, Cartmel

 

With a BTEC in public services under his belt, Graeme Cumine looked set for a different career. However, a part-time job in a local restaurant whetted his appetite for hospitality and by 2013 he was working full-time and undertaking the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 2 Wine Award. Later that year, he moved to Grassington House, Skipton, working his way up to restaurant manager in 2015.

 

A year later, keen to enhance his experience, he joined the then two-Michelin-starred, five-AA-rosette L’Enclume as chef de rang. In 2017, he was promoted to head waiter and also reached the finals of Young Waiter of the Year at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Annual Awards of Excellence.

 

Talent and dedication have underpinned his steady progress and by 2020 he was promoted again to restaurant manager. As part of chef-patron Simon Rogan’s restaurant team, he helped L’Enclume win its third Michelin star in February 2022, becoming the only restaurant in the north to achieve that accolade.

 

To nurture future talent, Cumine has worked with Kendal College to devise the front of house apprenticeship package offered by Simon Rogan’s Academy.

 

Out of the kitchen, he works with the head gardener at Simon Rogan’s farm to understand the ingredients used in L’Enclume’s dishes so he can offer restaurant guests and his team better information as well as ensure that no part of a plant is wasted.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Communication, listening and getting everyone in the team moving towards the same goal. Also, ensuring each team member understands their role and what they need to do to achieve their personal career goals.”

 

Ethan Davids, 28, director, Chickpea Group

 

Ethan Davids’ journey from washing dishes in his parents’ pub to owning a pub group is one of hospitality’s many inspirational tales.

 

When he sought a business loan to start the group with his sister and schoolfriend, they were laughed out of the bank, and had to beg, borrow and steal to get things off the ground. It worked, and Chickpea Group now has four pubs and a pizza business in the south west.

 

Davids oversees everything – operations, turnover, growth, staff and design. Financially astute, he drove revenue up at Chickpea’s first pub – the Grosvenor Arms, in Wiltshire, taken on in 2019 – from £300,000 a year to more than £1m. Similarly, the business’s pizza arm, Nole, is a great example of successful pivoting during the pandemic; a standalone Nole shop is now open in Salisbury.

 

Keen to share his story, Davids has partnered with a local school to provide students with a day-in-the-life experience of the group.

 

He has also created an environment where hard work, creativity and passion is rewarded with obvious progression across the group, regardless of age. Two head chefs are under the age of 25, while the assistant general manager at the Grosvenor Arms was 18 when promoted. Davids also gives managers the freedom to manage each pub as if it’s their own to help them inspire their teams.

 

Tellingly, one of his goals in the next two years is to help a member of staff open their own pub or restaurant “because it’s fun”.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Creating an environment where creativity flourishes. I do that in our business by making ideas come to life. We don’t hang around and work on a trial-by-error basis. Thankfully, some ideas have worked.”

 

John Dickson, 29, hotel manager, Dakota Eurocentral

 

John Dickson was handed the responsibilities of hotel manager within 10 years of starting his career, which is a phenomenal achievement.

 

A decade ago, with aspirations to work in football coaching, he joined Dakota Edinburgh to earn money for college. However, working in the kitchen as a runner, he realised his passions were aligned more with hospitality than football. He undertook Dakota’s Learn More, Earn More development programme, and started to reap the rewards through promotions. In 2015, his career took off when he joined Dakota Eurocentral as restaurant manager.

 

In this role, he implemented new procedures that saw consistent record-breaking revenue figures in F&B and led to him taking on bigger roles. By 2021, his success and dedication brought him promotion to his current role as hotel manager of Eurocentral.

 

It’s been a great 12 months for Dickson, the business and his team. The hotel is set to finish the year ahead of budgeted EBITDA and surpassing the budgeted average daily room rate. As well as spearheading the opening of a purpose-built events space at Eurocentral, he hired a new events team, drawing from locals and hospitality graduates in the area.

 

Now responsible for a multimillion-pound business with 90 staff, he is focused on broadening their skills through cross-training, distillery tours, wine tastings, butchery sessions and more. He also works with local schools to talk about opportunities in the industry.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Making people feel good. We all have our part to play in a high-performing, fast-paced environment, and it’s key that everyone feels their efforts are appreciated every day. We all want the same things in our place of work – to feel like we’re part of something, to work in a team where you’re respected, where you have the opportunity to develop and learn, and have a bit of fun doing it.”

 

Dorya Djebbar, 29, people business partner, CH&Co

 

Dorya Djebbar joined CH&Co in 2018, armed with a master’s in HR management and experience as an HR administrator with South Coast Port Services.

 

Her first role was as HR adviser in the education sector, but a series of promotions saw her zip up the ladder, overseeing 2,000 employees across 700 sites as people operations manager, before landing her current role in January 2022. It is her responsibility to integrate Gather & Gather, which was acquired in 2019, into CH&Co. This is no mean feat given that Gather & Gather is the largest business within CH&Co, with 1,200 sites, 2,350-plus people and an annual turnover of £150m.

 

Djebbar has also been instrumental in supporting the post-Covid rebuilding of the business. With the intake of new recruits rising to an average of 100 a month, she reviewed the starter process, identified simplifications for managers, and collaborated to train 500 managers. She also helped to design and roll out the in-house people engagement survey, which returned a 72% score.

 

No wonder that in 2021 her achievements were recognised at the HR in Hospitality Awards, when she won the Rising Star Award.

 

She works as a Springboard ambassador and has been instrumental in CH&Co’s work with the charity to launch the Kickstart scheme, championing the programme with her operations teams.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Open communication, encouraging collaboration, and continuously mentoring and coaching. I reached my professional goals because I always had a leader who developed and motivated me and kept me engaged.”

 

Laura Dunphy, 29, training and development manager, Cameron House, Loch Lomond

 

Laura Dunphy faced a bigger challenge than most of her peers when she stepped into her newly created role in April 2021. With the luxury hotel having been closed for four years following a fire, she was tasked with devising a five-star hotel training strategy for 525 new staff. Others might baulk at the challenge, but Dunphy demonstrated ambition and patience.

 

To make induction fun and engaging, she helped devise a three-day ‘clan welcome’ for groups of up to 70 new starters. Undeterred by the fact the hotel was still closed, she booked bowling clubs, a football stadium and even a local cinema to make sure the inductions went ahead. The 525 new employees – many of them lacking experience – were then given on-the-job training through 75 new departmental trainers trained by Dunphy.

 

It’s impressive – and so is her CV, which demonstrates wide-ranging hospitality experience from when her career started on Principal Hotels’ graduate manager programme, to being promoted to a cluster training manager role at Principal for Scotland in 2020 – though the pandemic put paid to that.

 

At Cameron House, Dunphy aims to attract high-quality talent and is currently focusing on strengthening the graduate programme. The hotel used to appoint two graduate managers a year, but she appointed eight in the summer 2021 cohort and has since appointed two more – with an 80% retention rate so far. A further six are soon to be appointed.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Showing genuine care. Taking the time to discover what they are passionate about means you can not only show you value them by remembering the little things, but you can also tailor your approach to their development and what they want out of their career, leading them to feel acknowledged, appreciated and supported in their role and as a person.”

 

Chara Forrest, 29, resident manager, the Devonshire Arms Hotel & Spa, Bolton Abbey

 

Chara Forrest’s continuous progression is down to her innate ability and ambition. She was recently promoted to the resident manager position, a role she has made her own over this past year. Her team of seven collectively oversee a team of 100, and she takes personal responsibility for their development by sharing the skills she has learned over an extensive career in hospitality.

 

It all started at Slaley Hall, Hexham, where she whizzed up the ranks of reception and F&B. In 2015, she joined Seaham Hall, Durham, as reception manager and over the course of three years worked her way up to operations manager, winning internal awards such as Front of House Person of the Year, as well as a Shooting Star nomination in the North East Hotels Association Awards.

 

Demonstrating her commitment to hospitality, she gained a scholarship on the executive education programme at Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in 2017. In 2018 she joined the Devonshire Arms team as deputy general manager, carving a path to her current role.

 

Forrest is building an impressive CV. Thanks to her continued personal development, she now has all-round knowledge of the luxury hotel sector, with a strong interest in personnel support and growth, and guest relations.

 

As well as completing a leadership skills programme, she has forged links with Hospitality Action and ambulance charity First Response so that she can better direct any team members who are struggling, while still offering her own support.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Look after your team’s wellbeing because that is at the core of building a happy team. Understand what makes them tick so that you can encourage them to do what they do best every day.”

 

Ruth Hansom, 27, head chef, the Princess of Shoreditch, London

 

Where to start with Ruth Hansom’s achievements? In a nutshell, she runs an all-female kitchen at the Princess of Shoreditch, which is the only pub in London to have been awarded three AA rosettes. Not only that, but she was in the final six of the 2022 Roux Scholarship competition at just 27.

 

Her career started at the Ritz London, where she spent four years working her way up to chef de partie. While there, she took part in international cookery competitions, winning titles including Master Chef of Great Britain and Young National Chef of the Year and appearing on BBC’s Million Pound Menu.

 

To broaden her skills, she took stages at restaurants, including Core by Clare Smyth, before landing her first head chef position at the Luton Hoo Hotel, where in her own words she learned “how to manage people and how important it is”.

 

Certainly, what stands out about her is that she practises fairness and kindness in the kitchen, guiding her chefs in understanding why they may have made a mistake in order to help them to learn, and counteracting the bad press that many kitchens receive.

 

Similarly, Hansom’s inclusive approach is proving successful in hiring, developing and retaining staff. Notably, she encourages the youngest chefs to put forward menu ideas and she works with them to develop them for the menus, giving them a sense of purpose and a boost in confidence.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Everyone has a different secret. No two people are the same. Getting to know your team and what makes them strive is different from person to person, so flexibility is key. For some people it’s downtime and for others it’s empowerment. Play to their strengths and help them develop their weaknesses.”

 

Kumiko Hiwatari, 29, premier sous pastry chef, the Ritz London

 

Kumiko Hiwatari joined the Ritz in 2019 as a sous pastry chef in the afternoon tea section, which serves up to 420 covers a day, and the Michelin-starred restaurant. She made a natural progression to the role of deputy before taking on the role of premier sous pastry chef, using her warm nature and people and organisation skills to manage a brigade of 29.

 

Besides recruiting and training new recruits, she oversees employee relations, menu design and development, and the staff rota. Described as the pillar and backbone of the department by her line manager, Hiwatari has brought consistency and direction to the team. Her fresh approach, for instance, means “an old-fashioned” department now uses IT, embraces change and adopts new ways of working, resulting in its smoother running.

 

Crucially, she has established strong connections between the Ritz London and educational institutions such as Le Cordon Bleu, Westminster Kingsway College and Leiths Cookery School, resulting in her being an ambassador for the industry and attracting apprentices for the Ritz London. She has also trained as a mental health first-aider and created a more open working environment at the hotel, implementing informal one-to-one check-ins.

 

Hiwatari embraces extra responsibility, not only ensuring that her team is fully trained, but also mentoring apprentices. This gives her a better understanding of the different levels of expertise in the team and the ability to identify skills gaps. Since she became involved in succession planning she has reduced staff attrition and boosted team morale.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Engaging with an individual’s needs in a positive way. That may be through positive reinforcement, a friendly approach or constructive feedback, but it is important that the team feels they are looked after, guided and, most importantly are happy in their place of work.”

 

Jaques Hobson, 29, F&B manager, the Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sutton Coldfield

 

Jacques Hobson joined the Belfry’s meeting and events department 10 years ago, where his passion for guest service propelled him from F&B assistant through several roles before becoming F&B manager in 2019.

 

Between 2019 and 2021, he grew revenue at the golf course’s Halfway House by £100,000, a noteworthy achievement during the pandemic. This was thanks to his initiatives, such as lengthening opening hours, price reconfiguration and offering new products. He also responded to the demand for outdoor hospitality, transforming the old 18th green of the PGA National course into the 19th Green bar for the Euro 2020 football tournament.

 

Most importantly, Hobson is a people person. He heads a team of 68 plus a management team of six and has notched up a strong staff retention rate of 55%, which is above the industry average thanks to the encouragement he offers everyone to get involved and share ideas or menu recipes.

 

After lockdown, he recruited 50 new staff. As many of them were aged 17 to 20 and had little hospitality experience, he created individual starter and training packs for them and introduced classroom training. In the past four years, he has developed and promoted more than 10 staff members, some of whom have become head of departments.

 

It all ends up on the bottom line. Hobson has maintained the business in unprecedented times through nurturing a high-performing team that delivers. Not least of his achievement is that his successful financial strategies have resulted in the resort owners investing in another Halfway House.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“Success comes from working together and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to contribute and share ideas. A team that is happy and motivated is key to delivering world-class F&B service.”

 

Craig Johnston, 26, head chef, Marcus Belgravia, London

 

Craig Johnston’s list of achievements in professional kitchens is impressively long for just 10 years of experience, but soft skills are where his true value lies. A well-rounded chef, he can not only run a big and busy kitchen, but also efficiently and calmly collaborate with a full restaurant team, including front of house, HR, reservations and marketing.

 

His career started at the age of 16 at a two-rosette restaurant in Maidenhead. He then joined the team at Pollen Street Social, London, as a pastry chef before returning to Maidenhead in 2016 as sous chef at Michelin-starred gastropub the Royal Oak in Shipston-on-Stour.

 

He was obviously going places when in 2017, aged 21, he won MasterChef: The Professionals – the youngest winner in its 13-season history. Shortly after, he joined the Marcus team as senior chef de partie, and over the next four years worked his way around the Michelin-starred kitchen. In January 2022, he took over full responsibility, overseeing a brigade of 19 alongside his senior sous chef.

 

Johnston raises the bar in the kitchen by sharing his knowledge with the brigade and developing apprentices. While he often stays late to help others, he champions work-life balance among his team and has introduced a system where new starters work a four-day roster and each member who works five days is allocated an early finish. He also encourages open communication across the kitchen team and front of house, and has introduced one-to-one catch-ups with team members.

 

What is the secret to a happy, engaged team?

 

“It’s all about giving your team as many opportunities to learn as you can with clear development plans. It’s important to recognise their growth and achievements and listen to their suggestions, concerns and questions.”

 

Serafin Kapusta, 28, F&B operations manager, InterContinental London Park Lane

 

Serafin Kapusta has been on an upward trajectory since he completed IHG’s Europe future leaders programme in 2016, having honed his F&B skills across three countries and three IHG brands – InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Voco.

 

His first management position was assistant F&B manager at the 204-bedroom Crowne Plaza London City, which has four outlets. He zip