The awards’ programme rewards and celebrates people from all levels of the business for their outstanding contribution over the past twelve months. Guests speaker and British triple Olympian medal winner Roger Black MBE gave an inspirational keynote speech.
Ian Crabtree, managing director of Accent, said: “Our awards are an opportunity to recognise all the wonderfully talented people who work so hard to make a difference in this business. All the nominees are selected by their peers and it was a difficult choice to choose one winner in each category.
“Our winners represent everything Accent holds dear, such as creativity, warmth and friendly customer service, innovation, diligence, and sense of community. Occasions like this are a reminder of how much we value everyone’s contribution, and it is an absolute honour to see the pride and camaraderie within our teams at every level of the business.”
The winners were:
- Accent Award Outstanding Contribution: Andrew Rushmere, financial controller
- The Ascent Award Rising Star: Naina Lamptey (chef manager, Dunraven Primary)
- The Head Office Rising Star Award: Billy Cockburn assistant accountant
- Unsung Hero Award: Carol Byrne (general assistant, Highdown)
- The Head Office Unsung Hero Award: Vidhya Prabagaran, systems accountant
- The Ingenuity Award: Innovator of the Year: Jo Baptiste, hospitality development chef
- The Silent Saviour: Support Colleague of the Year: Abby Welsted, HR assistant
- Going the extra miles: Team of the Year: The Mulberry Group
- Heart of the Community: Championing local impact: Zoe Crane, chef manager, Simon Balle Primary
- The Culinary Maestro: Chef / Manager of the Year: David Pomeroy, executive chef (St Albans)
- The Green Guardian Award: Environmental Advocate: Graham Ogden, food & engagement manager