Daniel Greenock of the Strathearn at Gleneagles named 2020 Restaurant Manager of the Year

Daniel Greenock of the Strathearn at Gleneagles hotel in Perthshire has been named 2020 Restaurant Manager of the Year.

Greenock was crowned champion of the competition, run by the Institute of Hospitality and the Academy of Food & Wine Service, at the Savoy in London on Monday.

Tom Husted from Dakota in Manchester was named runner-up from a pool of finalists that also included Gianluca Austin-Rizzo of Simpsons Restaurant in Birmingham and Bart Czaja of Oscar Wilde Lounge at Hotel Café Royal in London.

To reach the final the four took part in tasks around recruitment, allergens, building a business case and an interview. They went on to act out two restaurant management scenarios in front of an audience of more than 100 people.

Greenock said: "It's been a really enjoyable day, I've really enjoyed meeting all the contestants and it's the first time I've ever done anything like this. I'm proud to say I'm going to go back and really push the service and the front of house side of things and hopefully inspire others to take part in this wonderful event.”

Chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality, Peter Ducker, added: “We had more than 50 applicants to what is a very rigorous competition, so it takes a tremendous effort to reach the semi-finals. It’s a real achievement.

"The competition is about finding the best restaurant manager, but also it’s about sharing ideas, learning from each other and celebrating the role. The legacy is that everyone who reaches the semi-final makes network connections with each other that will endure for years.”

Greenock has won a residential stay at a Swiss hotel school as well as membership of the Institute of Hospitality among other experiences.