Hotel Cateys 2011 – Food and Beverage Manager of the Year

Hotel Cateys 2011 - Food and Beverage Manager of the Year
Sponsored by Beacon Purchasing

WINNER: Amit Jaitly, food and beverage manager, Hilton Birmingham Metropole

Amit Jaitly has been at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole for just 18 months but the results he has achieved in this period would suggest he'd been there a lot longer.

Jaitly is responsible for all food and beverage outlets in this busy 800-bedroom hotel, including the Boulevard and Millers restaurants, a 24-hour lounge bar, Costa Coffee outlet and 24-hour room service.

Its prime location adjacent to the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, as well the hotel's own conferencing facilities, ensure a steady stream of hotel guests and day visitors contributing to a food and beverage annual turnover of £4.5m.

To give you a better idea of what Jaitly's role involves, it begins with heading up a 127-strong team that includes two outlet managers, three assistant managers and 16 supervisors. Together they are responsible for more than 205,000 covers each year.

With the introduction of a series of initiatives, such as an annual date-specific promotions calendar and the upselling of dinner and breakfast vouchers at reception, he has increased the overall food and beverage revenue by £450,000 and profit by £309,000 in a 10-month period.

There is no doubt his drive to develop his existing staff as well as new starters has supported this impressive financial performance.

Eight members of his team have completed the Hilton Food and Beverage leadership programme, while new starters follow up an intensive three-day orientation with a buddy system on the floor for their first two weeks.

Jaitly's passion for hospitality extends far beyond the boundaries of his own hotel as he has helped open both the Hilton Liverpool and the Hilton Garden Inn - Aberdeen city centre. He is also part of the Hilton Top Talent scheme and a member of the Academy of Food and Wine's working group F&B Best in Class, a project to train and develop new starters in the industry.

What the judges said…

"Amit is a caring, talented individual who believes in doing the right thing at the right time and engaging with the right stakeholders. Overall Amit is a great professional and I am sure he will achieve even greater things in the future."
Erick Kervaon, director of food and beverage, Waldorf Astoria

THE JUDGES
James Clarke, director of food and beverage, Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel
Erick Kervaon, director of food and beverage, Waldorf Astoria
Julia Sibley, chief executive, Savoy Educational Trust

THE SHORTLIST
Globy Ouseph, Hilton Waldorf, London
Peter Bradley, Red Carnation Hotel Collection
Michael Bonsor, Claridge's, London
Amit Jaitly, Hilton Birmingham Metropole

FORMER WINNERS
2010 James Clarke, Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel
2009 Erick Kervaon, South Lodge Hotel
2008 Richard Ellison, Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa, Fife
2007 Paul Boyce, Malmaison and Hotel du Vin