Cateys 2024: How to enter

This week The Caterer begins its search for the most exceptional talents and greatest brands in the hospitality industry as it launches the 2024 Cateys, held in partnership with P&O Cruises.

 

The awards are a celebration of all that is great in the industry, and the winners in each category represent the finest that the hotel, restaurant, foodservice and pub and bar industries have to offer.

 

The most prestigious awards in the hospitality industry will be presented across 22 categories at a glittering ceremony at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London on 2 July 2024.

 

Winning a Catey is significant because recipients are nominated, selected and rewarded by their peers and, this week, nominations open for those you feel deserve recognition. So, if you know of an individual, business or organisation worthy of this prestigious award, we want to hear from you.

 

Only those who are nominated go forward to be judged by The Caterer's panel of past winners and experts from across the industry, so please submit your entries at www.cateys.com before 13 March.

 

Below is more on the individual awards and the criteria for that award.

 

The Cateys 2024, held in partnership with P&O Cruises, are sponsored by Bidfood, Brakes, CH&Co Group, Matthew Clark, Miele, Motion Picture Licensing Company, Sky Business and UNOX.

 

THE CATEGORIES

• Best Marketing Campaign
• Accessibility Award
• Best Use of Technology
• Manager of the Year
• Sustainable Business Award
• Chef Award
• Newcomer Award
• Menu of the Year
• Pub and Bar Award
• Restaurateur of the Year - Independent
• Restaurateur of the Year - Group
• Health and Nutrition Award
• Best Employer Award
• Wine and Spirit Ambassador Award
• Education and Training Award
• Public Sector Caterer Award
• Foodservice Caterer Award
• Hotel of the Year - Group
• Hotel of the Year - Independent
• International Outstanding Achievement Award
• Special Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award

 

BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Best Marketing Campaign Award is open to hotel, restaurant, leisure or foodservice operators that have launched innovative, creative and effective campaigns to promote their products and drive custom and business. Entrants will need to submit details of their campaign's strategic goal, deliverables and success criteria. Judges will be looking for clear and quantifiable campaign goals, measurable objectives, implementation details and evidence of return on investment. Entries in this category may be for an independent business, a single unit within a group or an entire group.

 

Enter the Best Marketing Campaign Award

 

ACCESSIBILITY AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award recognises the operators going above and beyond the requirements of the Equality Act in accommodating and catering for people with disabilities and special needs. The winner will be an individual hotel, pub, restaurant, foodservice contract or other hospitality operation offering equal levels of customer service to those with and without disabilities. This category is not open to groups but is open to an individual establishment within a group. All entrants must confirm that they comply with all aspects of the Equality Act. They must produce accessibility statements for both their business and their website. They must also clearly demonstrate that they have understood the business case of providing excellent customer service for a wide range of people with disabilities. Details of the financial case must be presented, including the costs of investment and the return on that investment. Other awards gained or won, plus testimonials from up to three satisfied customers, may be included as supporting evidence.

 

Enter the Accessibility Award

 

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Best Use of Technology Award is open to hotel, restaurant, leisure or foodservice operators that have realised efficiencies or driven new business through the development or deployment of innovative and creative information, engineering or equipment technologies. Entries can be for a single business or a group of units. They will be accepted from executives responsible for managing or employing the technology described. Entries must be for project live dates or equipment specification undertaken no more than one year before the closing date of entries.

 

Enter Best Use of Technology

 

MANAGER OF THE YEAR - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The winning candidate will have demonstrated proven success in managing and developing a team in the workplace, established a good financial track record and proved their worth over and above the job description, particularly in the past year. Nominations are invited from all sectors of the industry and from all managerial levels.

 

Enter Manager of the Year

 

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award is open for submissions based on option 1 or option 2 below.

1. Continuous improvement over a maximum five-year period.
2. Individual project, innovation or achievement over the past 12 months.

 

This award will recognise the hospitality operator that has taken the most innovative steps to embed sustainability into their business. Success can be determined by, but is not limited to, mitigating environmental impact, promoting social value though community and stakeholder engagement, and enhancing the business's commerciality through sound sustainable business activity. The award is open to any hotel, restaurant, pub, leisure foodservice business or other hospitality operation, regardless of size.

 

Enter the Sustainable Business Award

 

CHEF AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award is open to chefs from all sectors of the industry. It recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the industry. The recipient must have made a major contribution through innovation in cooking techniques, styles of cuisine and the understanding of culinary processes. The award recognises a wider contribution to the trade, through significant and effective involvement in the fields of education, charity or the general promotion of the industry's interests. Although the award winner may not be an ever-present figure in his or her own kitchen, it is expected that the recipient will be taking a strong and significant role in the day-to-day operations of an outlet or outlets.

 

Enter the Chef Award

 

NEWCOMER AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Newcomer Award is open to all people in the industry who have taken a risk and seized an opportunity and made a name for themselves. The winner will own a business that has been operating for fewer than three years on 5 July 2024 and have established a reputation for quality and service. This will be their first owner-operator hospitality-based business. Candidates can be from any sector of the industry.

 

Enter the Newcomer Award

 

MENU OF THE YEAR - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award is open to restaurants whose menu has been featured on the Menuwatch page of the The Caterer within a 12-month period ahead of the awards. Nominees are judged on innovation within the price bracket of that particular establishment or contract; good use of seasonal produce on the menu; creativity of the dishes being served; careful marrying of textures and flavours of the component ingredients; value for money; and whether after seeing the menu or selection of dishes, you would be tempted to eat there.

 

Enter Menu of the Year

 

PUB AND BAR AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Pub and Bar Award is open to people who run, own or manage a pub or pub chain with a food element. The judges are looking for sound business planning and a good grasp of financial matters. Flair and innovation are also important. The winner must commit to staff training and customer service and show involvement in the community.

 

Enter the Pub and Bar Award

 

RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR - INDEPENDENT - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to combine flair and innovation with good business acumen. They must set standards to which others can aspire. They may own and operate several establishments, but they will not be themed or branded. The judges will be looking for a solid and/or outstanding performance in the past financial year. Financial information must be provided in order to demonstrate good business judgement.

 

Enter Restaurateur of the Year - Independent

 

RESTAURATEUR OF THE YEAR - GROUP - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award is open to individuals who have made their mark in running system-led companies operating branded and themed food and drink outlets. They will operate three or more outlets. The judges will be looking for a solid and/or outstanding performance in the past financial year. Financial information must be provided in order to demonstrate business acumen.

 

Enter Restaurateur of the Year - Group

 

HEALTH AND NUTRITION AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award will recognise the hospitality business that has shown the greatest commitment and taken the most innovative steps to develop a food offering that caters for the growing demand for healthier and more nutritious eating options in the past 12 months The award is open to any hotel, restaurant, pub, leisure or foodservice business, regardless of size. Entries can be for a single-unit business or for a group of units.

 

Enter the Health and Nutrition Award

 

BEST EMPLOYER AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award will go to the company exhibiting the most enlightened and effective employment practice. The winning entrant will be able to provide tangible evidence that, through their systems, practices and values, they are able to attract, train, motivate and retain the country's best hospitality staff. The shortlist will be selected from entrants into The Caterer's Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards.

 

HOW TO NOMINATE

 

To enter the Best Employer category, entrants must first get involved in the Best Places to Work in Hospitality awards, which recognise 30 of the best hospitality employers. The Best Employer will be chosen from this shortlist. To enter, visit www.bestplacestoworkinhospitality.co.uk

 

WINE AND SPIRIT AMBASSADOR - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award honours an individual who has made a major contribution to the knowledge, understanding and promotion of wines, Champagnes and spirits in the UK hospitality industry. The recipient will display a proven track record for profiting from the sale of alcoholic beverages and training staff in effective wine service; and will demonstrate a wider commitment to their industry, through their involvement in the fields of education or charity. Our winner may work in any sector of the hospitality industry.

 

Enter the Wine and Spirit Ambassador Award

 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award will go to someone who has demonstrated an innovative approach to continuous learning with particular regard to the needs of the hospitality industry in the UK. They will have developed initiatives in training that have added value and demonstrated an ability to adapt to the changing needs of the market. They may come from any area of the hospitality industry.

 

Enter the Education and Training Award

 

PUBLIC SECTOR CATERER AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Public Sector Caterer Award will go to an individual or organisation who has made an outstanding contribution to the sector. The winner will possess the ability to combine innovation with sound financial performance as well as being able to demonstrate clear achievements. The individual or organisation will have contributed to the sector in the areas of healthcare, education or institutional catering.

 

Enter the Public Sector Caterer Award

 

FOODSERVICE CATERER AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Foodservice Caterer Award will go to an individual working within the private or event sector who has made an outstanding contribution. The winner will possess the ability to combine innovation with sound financial performance as well as being able to demonstrate clear achievements.

 

Enter the Foodservice Caterer Award

 

HOTEL OF THE YEAR - GROUP - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Hotel of the Year - Group category is open to any group hotel of any size and at any market level that demonstrates excellence in its chosen market, consistency of product and service, and success as a business. It should have a healthy balance sheet and be able to demonstrate particular achievements in the past year. It is open to any hotel that is operated as part of a branded group with four or more units. Candidates must provide evidence of financial performance, including turnover, profit, occupancy and room rates.

 

Enter Hotel of the Year - Group

 

HOTEL OF THE YEAR - INDEPENDENT - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

The Hotel of the Year - Independent will be a business of three units or fewer under a brand or owner. It will be a successful business of any size, category or market level; show excellence in its chosen market; offer an example to which others can aspire; present a healthy balance sheet; and be able to demonstrate particular achievements in the past year. Candidates must provide evidence of financial performance, including turnover, profit, occupancy and room rates.

 

Enter Hotel of the Year - Independent

 

INTERNATIONAL OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

This award recognises an individual who has had a profound impact upon the global hospitality industry, whether in the field of cheffing, hotels or foodservice. They may be a British national or from overseas. There are no formal criteria and it is given at the discretion of The Caterer team.

 

Make a nomination for the International Outstanding Achievement Award

 

SPECIAL AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

There are no set criteria for this award. It can recognise someone from any sector of the catering or hospitality industry. The person you nominate will have made a significant contribution to their sector - but this contribution may not by any means be over. The award may come early in a career, or as recognition of original or creative ideas, or later when someone has established a consistently outstanding record.

 

Make a nomination for the Special Award

 

LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARD - JUDGES' CRITERIA

 

There are no formal criteria for this award, although the winner is likely to have enjoyed success over a prolonged period. All of the past recipients have worked in hospitality for more than 30 years and, in addition to their core business, have contributed to the industry in a considerable way.

 

Make a nomination for the Lifetime Achievement Award