Ashley Shaw wins Academy of Food and Wine Service's Dalmore Award for Excellence

Ashley Shaw, house manager at London's Westbury hotel in Mayfair, has scooped the Academy of Food and Wine Service's Dalmore Award for Excellence.

Shaw received the Whyte & Mackay sponsored award, given to an outstanding personality in the UK hotel and catering industry, in recognition of his passion for hospitality and his work with college students.

Presenting the award, academy president Roy Ackerman said: "Not only is Ashley an inspiration within his hotel, dedicating time to training and supporting the whole operation, but he is also involved with many colleges, assisting students in the pursuit of hospitality careers.

"His passion and commitment in everything he does makes him the deserved recipient."

Shaw has been house manager at the Westbury for two years, previously working in F&B at the hotel. He trained at Stratford College before taking up an apprenticeship at Claridge's.

"I'm ecstatic to win this award," he said, "I'm totally taken aback."

The award was part of the academy's Annual Awards for Excellence, held on 18 October at London's Innholder's Hall.

Academy chairman Nick Scade used the occasion to announce that Hilton Worldwide, through its 80 UK and Ireland hotels, has become the first to gain ACE accreditation in the academy's new Centre of Training Excellence scheme. Hilton has achieved the highest level of accreditation, the gold standard.

"Hilton's accreditation will be closely followed by that of the De Vere Academy. We hope this exciting new initiative will lead to all the other major hotel, restaurant and pub groups following suit, signalling the importance they place on providing a high standard of training for front-of-house staff," he said.

The full list of award winners:

The Dalmore Award for Excellence
Ashley Shaw, house manager, the Westbury hotel, London

L'Academie de Lanson Taste Award
Anna Mayr, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay - Royal Hospital Road, London

Company of the Year Award
D&D London

The Virgin Rising Star Award
William Harper, Malmaison Liverpool

The Worshipful Company of Innholders and Maison Louis Jadot Sommelier Award
Ashraf Saleh, Galvin at Windows, London

The Savoy Educational Trust Phillip Thornton Award
Max Butterfield, Babylon Restaurant at the Roof Gardens, London

The New Zealand Winegrowers Award
James Myers, Northcote, Lancashire

Ramos Pinto Travel Award
Antoine Dugand, Le Pont de la Tour, London

BII Pub Wine List of the Year Award
Battlesteads, Northumberland

Honorary Fellowships
Tony Potter, CEO and MD of CHI Hotels & Resorts
Kellie Rixon, MD of the De Vere Academy

Sommelier David Galetti wins Dalmore Award for Excellence >>

Ben Murphy from Koffmann's takes gold at WorldSkills 2011 >>

Video: Highlights from WorldSkills London 2011 >>

By Janie Stamford

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