The Editor's Hospitality Blog

Congratulations to Trunkwell Mansion House proprietor, Bob Walton, who has been named as the new chairman of the Restaurant Association, and to Richard, Earl of Bradford, proprietor of Porter's Restaurant in London, and the association's new vice-chairman.

The two were in top form at this week's Restaurant Association 40th anniversary dinner, hosted by 2007 Catey Lifetime Achievement award-winner, Richard Shepherd at Langan's Brasserie in London.

Walton presented a gift to Manny Franks, the oldest serving member of the association, who promptly joked that the presidency and vice-presidency were mere sinecures. "The committee used to work far harder in the past, than it does now", he told guests, to much laughter.

I congratulated Richard Shepherd on the excellent, pink Beef Wellington served to guests. "That was the easy part", he told me. "The hard bit was getting 80 portions of ice cream up two flights of stairs without them melting." The ice cream came courtesy of event sponsors, Movenpick.

With dinner over, Bob Walton took a few of us across the road and signed us in at the Ritz Casino. For someone whose only experience of gambling is a pound each way on a 100-1 in the Grand National, the casino, with its Venetian chandeliers, murals and fine-dining restaurant offering Chinese, Thai, Lebanese, Indian and Western food, was a revelation.

The following morning, I conducted an interview with one of the leading lights of the Ark Foundation, whose remit is to protect hospitality workers from all forms of addiction. I opted not to mention the previous evening's activities ...

The first day of the new year was an exciting one for Trunkwell Mansion House proprietor, Bob Walton. As well as formally taking over as the new chairman of the Restaurant Association, Bob was also made an MBE in the Queen's New Year honours list.

Bob described the award as "a wonderful feeling, it's made my Christmas wonderful." But according to the Reading Evening Post, Bob's local MP was not so thrilled. Frustrated that his ongoing campaign to secure a knighthood for Reading Football Club Chairman John Madejski was again unsuccessful, Martin Salter, the member for Reading West, said:

“It’s a weird and wonderful system when you can acquire an honour for running a restaurant and yet other people who have done many good things are still waiting in the queue.”

Mr Salter is clearly unaware of Walton's four-year vice-chairmanship of the Restaurant Association, and his strong track record in promoting Hospitality to youngsters as a career of choice.

There were also MBEs for John Williams, Executive Head Chef at the Ritz and Chairman of the Academy of Culinary Arts; and Lesley Gardner, secretary to the chief executive of industry charity, Hospitality Action. Gardner has worked for HA for 37 years, during which she has been actively involved in all aspects of the charity.

HA chief executive Penny Moore was thrilled for Lesley, saying:

"Whilst Lesley isn't employed in a welfare or beneficiary support role, she has continually taken it upon herself to become actively involved in the beneficiaries' welfare in her own time. This is way over and above what she is required to do. She is a truly remarkable individual and I am absolutely delighted, in this, our 170th year, that she has achieved public recognition through this great honour.”

Congratulations to Bob, John and Lesley from all at Caterersearch.