The announcement was made at the ACE annual summer party held at JuJu’s Bar in Shoreditch on the 9th of July 2025. Tweedy, who is head of operations for Restaurant Associates Venues at Glyndebourne Opera House in Sussex, was declared the overall winner in front of over 200 hospitality guests.
He leads the full catering operation, including three restaurants, multiple bars, VIP dining and their signature picnic experience. Each summer Festival, his team delivers premium three-course meals to 650 guests within a 90-minute interval.
Laurent Lucas Dufour, chair of ACE, said: “Congrats to all nominees, an excellent year full of young talents, judging was not that easy. Delighted that three industry colleagues will have the mentorship opportunity this year, something new that the board is very keen on. James, welcome to the ACE board.”
Tweedy will receive an overnight stay with dinner at the Stafford London. He will also receive the Robyns Trophy and lifetime membership of ACE. In second place was Alice Knight from Social Impact Coffee and in third place was Amy Bowden from The Genuine Dining Co.
Tim Jones, who is joint founder of CH&CO with his late wife Robyn, added: “We have had another year of outstanding entries, and I would like to congratulate all of the entrants.
“It has been a joy to read about so much emerging talent in our sector with many entrants displaying the exacting standards for food and service that Robyn was renowned for. The judges had a very difficult time deciding on the short list, but we are sure that our winner is someone who Robyn would be proud to have associated with the awards.”