Restaurant Manager of the Year - The 2017 UK Competition for Restaurant Managers

Ten outstanding Restaurant Managers have been chosen to compete in the UK Restaurant Manager of the Year 2019 competition on Monday 7 January at The Savoy, London.

The semi-finalists are:

Cedric Touny, The Blue Posts, London
Christopher Bakowski, Alyn Williams at The Westbury, London
Jacopo Nardini, Indigo Restaurant, One Aldwych, London
Jennifer Santner, Angler Restaurant, South Place Hotel, London
Pauline Henry, Brasserie Joël, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London
Rebecca Galland, The Vineyard Hotel and Spa, Newbury
Shashi Prakash, Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, Windermere
Simon Warren, The Ivy, Birmingham
Tomas Kubart, Corinthia-Kerridges, Corinthia Hotel, London
Vincenzo Mancinelli, Hide Above, London

Tickets for the Live Final and Winner’s Reception are now available at

Restaurant Manager of the Year Winner’s Reception
Cost: £20 for Institute of Hospitality members; £35 for non-members

For further details, contact the events team by email at events@afws.co.uk or phone 020 8661 4904

2018 UK Restaurant Manager of the Year

Kieran McLoughlin, 2018 UK Restaurant Manager of the Year

Kieran McLoughlin of Gravetye Manor Hotel was named the UK’s Restaurant Manager of the Year during a prize-giving ceremony at the Royal Garden Hotel, London Monday 8th January

The UK Restaurant Manager of the Year competition, now in its ninth year, is run by the Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS), which was acquired by the Institute of Hospitality last year.

McLoughlin was one of four finalists who performed management role-playing scenarios in front of a live audience as well as being interviewed by industry leaders. He said: “This really validates what I have been doing with my life and it’s a lovely payback to the people that I have worked with. The competition was very tough and represented the creme-de-la-creme of the industry and I’m very proud to be mentioned in the same breath as the other finalists.”

The runner-up award went to Jennifer Santner, Sketch, London (far right), and the other two finalists were Nick Emmott, English’s of Brighton and Rebecca Galland, The Vineyard Hotel, Berkshire.