The virtual awards included categories to showcase businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond, demonstrating the ability to quickly adapt and implement new, successful initiatives to support their employees, communities, key workers and the NHS during the pandemic.

Hosted by British comedian and television presenter, Paul Sinha, the event featured appearances from some of the industry’s biggest names, including Paul Ainsworth, Andi Oliver, Michel Roux Jr and Clare Smyth and was watched by almost 450 industry professionals, media and supporters of Springboard. 

With hundreds of entries, over 40 businesses made the shortlist, with the winners recognised for everything from employee health & wellbeing and staff communication, to the best dine at home experience and most innovative alcohol strategy.

Springboard CEO, Chris Gamm, says: “Despite being faced with such adversary in 2020, the hospitality industry went above and beyond and deserves to be celebrated. All the winners have undertaken amazing work, achieving incredible results, despite the circumstances the sector has been faced with. Springboard are thrilled to be recognising them”.

The event also saw the launch of Springboard’s new fundraising initiative – ‘Virtual Race to Nicaragua’. A trek to Nicaragua was set to take place in Central America itself in March 2020, to raise vital funds for Springboard, but the trip was postponed due to COVID-19.

Marketing and Event Partner, Amy-Jane Cahalane says: “The Virtual Race to Nicaragua will take place wherever you are in the UK and your miles will be tracked online, contributing to your team’s progress. We’re giving everybody the opportunity to get involved, get fit, have fun and raise money for Springboard!” 

Teams of 30 people will be encouraged to cover a mere 5,300 miles throughout May 2021, the challenge is sure to excite walkers, runners and cyclists from the hospitality industry and beyond. Find out more about the virtual race to Nicaragua, here www.springboard.uk.net/virtual-race

The Winners

Best Implementation of Virtual Training

Interstate Hotels and Resorts

Best Staff Communication

The Dorchester Collection & 45 Park Lane

Employee Health & Wellbeing

Dishoom

Best Use of Digital Media to Promote Sales or Service

Holiday Inn Barrow in Furness

Best Delivered “Dine at Home” Experience

Made in Oldstead

Best National Support for Vulnerable People

Now Pause

Best Group Community Engagement

The Dorchester

Best Internal Covid-19 Training Programme

D&D London

Best Management Preparation

PPHE Hotel Group

Best Employer

Royal Lancaster London

Best Use of Technology to Improve Customer Experience

Delaware North

Most Innovative Alcohol Strategy

Essex Spirits Company Ltd.

Best National Support for Key Workers

Medirest

Best Individual Community Engagement

Jeni Edwards (Ijess consulting)

Best Corporate Social Responsibility  

Brakes

Business Innovation

Harri

Chris Beaumont Award

Diego Masciaga

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Over 40 businesses have made the shortlist in 17 categories – recognising everything from employee health & wellbeing and staff communication, to the best dine at home experience and most innovative alcohol strategy.

New for 2021, the awards also include categories to showcase businesses and employees who have gone above and beyond, demonstrating the ability to quickly adapt and implement new, successful initiatives in order to support their employees, communities and NHS during the pandemic.

Springboard CEO, Chris Gamm, says: “We’ve received a record number of entries despite the pandemic, demonstrating that our hospitality industry has gone above and beyond in 2020 to support their communities and employees, adapt their business models and succeed despite the odds.

“We’ve got a fitting ceremony planned to celebrate the shortlist and reveal the winners. As well as announcing who takes the top spot in each category, we’ll have a number of celebrity guest appearances throughout the night including Andi Oliver, Michele Roux Jr and Clare Smyth.”

The awards, hosted by British comedian and television presenter, Paul Sinha, best known as one of the six Chasers on the ITV game show The Chase, is sponsored by Harri, will take place from 6:30-7:30pm on 18 March. They’re free to attend and open to all. Sign in from 6pm to network online with other guests. Register here: https://springboard.uk.net/awards/

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Edwin served up a starter of velouté of Wirral watercress and spinach with ravioli of organic Colston Basset cheese, walnut, Granny Smith apple and pickled celery. His main course was steamed loin of Norwegian cod wrapped in prawn mousse and served with beluga lentils, edamame beans, lotus root and Asian broth. A dessert of cinnamon Pain Perdu, lemon verbena yoghurt ice cream with caramelised damsons, white chocolate and pistachio completed his winning menu.

Eden Allsworth, demi chef de partie at Cliveden Hotel took the runner-up spot with Harry Paynter-Roberts, commis chef at Moor Hall Restaurant with Rooms taking third place.

The focus for this year’s competition was sustainability with the chefs having to incorporate ingredients from the Knorr Future 50 Foods list. The initiative in partnership with the WWF highlights how we are using too many of the same ingredients and our planet can’t keep up. Not only is the Future 50 Foods list designed to highlight ingredients that will help deliver a sustainable future, but these ingredients have also been chosen for their positive nutritional credentials.

Chair of judges, Hrishikesh Desai, executive chef at The Gilpin Hotel and Lake House in Windermere said

Chair of judges, Hrishikesh Desai, executive chef at The Gilpin Hotel and Lake House in Windermere said: “These finalists are the upcoming stars of our industry and we wanted them to be the catalyst for change and inspire their colleagues and peers. By taking the Future 50 Foods ingredients you can create responsibly sourced and biodiverse dishes for the future. Ensuring that this competition could still go ahead has been an important project for me over the last few months as I know giving positivity, hope and focus to chefs is more important than ever. We had to tweak how we selected the finalists, but we invited a strong group of chefs who have already had success in other competitions; this led to an incredible final. On the day, Edwin’s dishes wowed all the judges and he was a very strong winner. He really understood how to create a balanced three course meal which was absolutely packed with flavours.”

Knorr® Professional is the headline partner of Young National Chef of the Year and Alex Hall, executive chef UK & Ireland added: “It’s been inspiring to see how these young chefs have risen to the challenge set out by Hrishikesh and created delicious, sustainable dishes. At the YNCOTY mentor meeting last month, we talked about this initiative and how these chefs could lead the way in making real change. By switching overused and over-cultivated ingredients for more biodiverse alternatives, chefs can begin to influence the way consumers eat and how future generations of chefs cook, for a better food future.”

Organiser of YNCOTY and Vice-President of the Craft Guild of Chefs, David Mulcahy said: “This was the most diverse group of chefs we’ve ever had in this competition and that made for an extremely interesting final with all chefs bringing their own style and experiences to the table. These chefs had to overcome the toughest challenges and restrictions to compete in this event, but all remained enthusiastic, well-prepared and determined to impress the judges. As we invite people to compete in this event, the Craft Guild of Chefs is always on the lookout for the next big name to join the list of winners. All the finalists have bright futures ahead of them and we can’t wait to see where this experience takes them next.”

As well as the title of Young National Chef of the Year 2021, Edwin wins the opportunity to grow professionally via a work development or trial session in a Michelin starred restaurant, courtesy of Knorr® Professional. He will also join Michel Roux Jr for the culinary trip of a lifetime to Norway, in conjunction with Seafood from Norway. Edwin will have the opportunity to cook a signature seafood menu at a high-level Seafood from Norway luncheon for press, chefs and industry members, co-hosted by Michel Roux Jr. Edwin will also receive a £500 voucher to spend within the CCS range. As well as a product prize of £250 and a framed presentation plate, Churchill will be taking him to a European city for a gastronomic experience trip. A bespoke knife will also be made thanks to Savernake Knives.

Young National Chef of the Year is run in partnership with Knorr® Professional in association with CCS, Churchill, Seafoods From Norway and Quorn. It was hosted at Le Cordon Bleu London and featured as part of Hospitality Week.

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Was it an advantage or a disadvantage having a famous father in the same industry? Both, big shoes to fill and he is a legend but there is no denying that I got a head start.

How do you feel about your daughter Emily following in your footsteps? Incredibly proud and happy, although it’s a tough industry and can take its toll she is strong enough to make a success out of it.

Tell us about your ongoing love affair with French cuisine. It’s in my blood and life would be so dull without butter!

How has the Roux Scholarship helped transform the view of British chefs across the globe? The Roux Scholarship has transformed the life of 34 chefs in Great Britain and they have in turn become mentors to many more up and coming chefs.

“True progress can only take place when it is firmly grounded in the past. This is perhaps more true of cooking than it is of any other human activity.” Please can you expand on this? 100% agree you cannot re-invent the wheel but must embrace evolution whilst respecting the values of the classics.

With Le Gavroche celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, what is the secret of its success? Staying true to its roots and consistency are major factors, not forgetting the staff, without them and their loyalty we would not be celebrating such a milestone!

You always seem so calm and collected, on TV at least! How do you keep your stress levels down? Long distance running is a hobby, but sport in general is a good way to relieve any stress. Confidence also comes with maturity….age!

You’re appearing at various BBC Good Food Shows this autumn/winter. What is the lure of live events such as these? I love the interaction with a live audience, they are so passionate.

Tell us about your new pub venture (The Wigmore). How was the process of creating the pub food menu (as opposed to a high-end restaurant menu)? The Wigmore is first and foremost a pub, so great drinks in a comfortable space with cheerful service. The food is pub food, ham and eggs, chips, cheese toastie, scotch eggs but made with all the care and attention of a high end restaurant.

Your new book ‘Les Abats: Recipes celebrating the whole beast’ is out in October. Why are so many people turned off by offal – and how can you persuade them to change their minds? We should eat more offal and hopefully this book will persuade more people to at least try it. It’s cheap, nutritious and tasty. If we take the life of an animal for food then we should eat all of it not just the “choice cuts”.

You’re a staunch campaigner on food waste. What advice can you offer chefs and caterers on this subject? Food waste is criminal, when many people are starving or in difficult times being wasteful is shameful. Not just consumers but manufacturers and supermarkets need to look at this very closely.

And now for three questions that we ask all of our Leading Lights…

What is your kitchen secret? We use seven types of salt in our kitchen, different salts for different recipes and ingredients.

What is your favourite ingredient and why? I love chocolate but it must be bitter and dark. I can eat it by the handful.

Please could you share your favourite recipe?

Boeuf Bourguignon

Braised beef in Burgundian wine

Serves 4

Ingredients • 1 bottle of red Burgundy wine • 700g braising beef (chuck is good but cheek is best) plain flour, for dusting vegetable oil • 1 onion, peeled and sliced • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed • 60ml brandy • 1 bouquet garni, made up of thyme, bay leaf and parsley stalks • 400ml beef or veal stock • 2tbsp cold unsalted butter • Salt • Black pepper Garnish • 3 tbsp unsalted butter • 12 brown-skinned cocktail or button onions (or small shallots), peeled • 12 young carrots, peeled • 120g smoked streaky bacon rashers or ventrèche, cut into thin strips • 12 button mushrooms, wiped juice of ½ lemon

Method

1. Pour the wine into a saucepan and boil until reduced by half. Trim the beef and cut it into 3cm cubes, then dust with flour. Heat a frying pan until very hot, add a dash of oil and brown the beef well on all sides. Do this in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/Fan 140ºC/Gas 3.

2. Once all the beef has been browned and set aside, discard the oil and add a tablespoon of clean oil, the sliced onion and crushed garlic. Cook until the onion is brown and caramelised, then put the meat back in the pan. Add the brandy, followed by the reduced wine, and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

3. Pour everything into a cast-iron casserole dish, then season and add the bouquet garni and stock. Bring to a simmer, skim well to remove any surface scum and cover loosely with a lid or greaseproof paper. Place in the oven and cook until the meat is tender this should take 1 ½-2hours, depending on the cut. Leave to cool, then take the meat out of the dish and set aside. Skim to remove any fat, then pass the liquid through a sieve into a pan. Boil until it thickens to a sauce, then add the meat. Cover and chill until needed.

4. To prepare the garnish, melt a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan and add the onions, seasoning, 2 tablespoons of the sauce from the beef and 4 tablespoons of water. Braise the onions until they are shiny and cooked through. Put the carrot in a pan with just enough water to cover and most of the rest of the butter. Brown the strips of bacon in a frying pan. Sweat the mushrooms in a little butter until cooked but still firm and add seasoning and lemon juice.

5. To serve, gently reheat the boeuf bourguignon on the hob while you prepare the garnish. Add a couple of knobs of cold butter to enrich and shine the sauce, then garnish with the onions, carrots, bacon and mushrooms. Take the dish to the table for everyone to admire, then serve in wide bowls.

Michel Roux Jr will be appearing at the BBC Good Food Show: Belfast, October 20–22

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