Hospitality well represented in New Year’s Honours list

The hospitality industry was well represented in 2010 New Year’s Honours list, with a number of familiar names recognised.

William Baxter, deputy chief executive of contract caterer BaxterStorey, became a CBE for services to the catering industry.

He said: "I am extremely proud to have received a CBE but I am even more proud to be able to use this honour to shine a light on contract catering.

"Ours is an industry bursting with talented, dedicated and truly brilliant people. An award such as this is a reflection of the excellence that can be found across the sector.”

Cyrus Todiwala, proprietor and executive chef at Café Spice Namasté, who was already an MBE, received an OBE for services to the hospitality industry.

Iqbal Wahhab, the founder of Roast restaurant and chairman of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Ethnic Minority Advisory Group, also received an OBE for public service and services to the hospitality industry.

Peter Phillipson, chairman of leisure group Merlin Entertainments, which owns Alton Towers, the London Eye and Madame Tussauds, also received an OBE.

Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, the co-founders of River Café, became MBEs in recognition of their services to the hospitality industry.

Mohammed Aslam, executive chef and managing director of Aagrah Group of Restaurants and Linda Kennedy, manager of Banqueting House in Whitehall, became MBEs for their services to hospitality.

A number of “local heroes” became MBEs for services to tourism, including Roberta Heavens, Ken McElroy, Prudence Porretta and Callie Saxty, for their work in the industry in Hereford, Northern Ireland, Coventry and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly respectively

In total, 979 people have been recommended to the Queen for an award:

• 842 candidates have been selected at MBE and OBE level, 615 at MBE and 227 at OBE 
• Seventy three per cent of the recipients are local heroes, who’ve undertaken outstanding work in their communities 
• There are 441 successful women candidates in the list; 45% of the total  
• Six per cent of the successful candidates come from ethnic minority communities.

Roast restaurant pledges job to long-term unemployed >>
 
Cyrus Todiwala in South Africa - Postcard from the Chef >>
 
BaxterStorey - saving our bacon >>
 
River Café reopens - an interview with Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers >>
 
See the full New Year’s Honours List >>
 

By Daniel Thomas

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