Acorns 2019: Kieran McLoughlin, 29

General manager, Hide Ground, London

Nominator Laura Godman, training manager, Sodexo

Proudest moment "The opening of Hide, and creating a successful business and modern working environment that focuses on personal development, training and accreditation."

Greatest inspiration "Working under Raymond Blanc for more than five years. Seeing the legacy he has created at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons gives me the drive and motivation to keep challenging myself."

Why hospitality is a great career "It has given me so much already. The opportunity to travel the world, to make friends with people from different walks of life, an on-the-job apprenticeship in how to run a business, and the opportunity to show my guests a great time by doing what I love."

In just 10 years, Kieran McLoughlin has worked his way through some of the UK's top restaurants: Martin Wishart, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Gravetye Manor and now Hide.

Along the way, he has earned the respect of industry movers and shakers. For instance, his commitment as a chef de rang prompted Martin Wishart to recommend him to the team at Le Manoir in 2011 and they in turn promoted him to head waiter by 2014.

By 26, he was restaurant manager at Gravetye Manor, managing a team of 30 and inspiring them to win Restaurant of the Year in Sussex Life in 2016. As well as helping to retain a Michelin star and three AA rosettes, he also exceeded the £1.6m F&B budget by £200,000, partly through increasing average spend by 14%.

By 2017, McLoughlin was flexing his skills as part of the opening team of Hide with Ollie Dabbous. He helped build the operating team from scratch and now manages 60 of the 200 staff, oversees 350 covers a day and looks after a £8.5m budget. Among his initiatives are straight shifts, four-week rotas, six-weekly one-to-one catch-ups, team-building exercises and cross training, while employees of the month get to visit other Michelin-starred restaurants.

McLoughlin also mentors restaurant managers and sommeliers and presents at Institute of Hospitality, Springboard and college events.