Simon Rogan and Tattu founders win special Northern Hospitality Power List awards

Three special achievement awards were presented to chef Simon Rogan, Tattu founders Adam and Drew Jones, and Ossett Brewery’s Jamie Lawson earlier this afternoon at the Northern Restaurant & Bar 2022 hospitality trade exhibition in Manchester.

Now in its ninth year, the Kuits NRB Top Fifty is a compilation of influential hospitality operators in the north, decided by a panel of northern hospitality experts in the fields of hospitality finance, accountancy, property, law and consultancy. This year’s list included four new entries and covered 212 brands, with 1,472 sites and more than 24,500 employees.

Judges praised Ossett Brewery’s “innovative and multi-faceted approach” and Tattu as “one of the most competent and confident brands in the industry, adored by its loyal audiences and with trading figures to match”.

Meanwhile, Simon Rogan’s 20-year journey with Umbel Restaurant Group, which recently saw L’Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria, awarded three Michelin stars, was recognised for a 20-year journey which “confirmed their position as one of the world’s great chefs and restaurateurs”.

New entries in 2022 included the founders and directors of Archies, Common & Co, Dabangg, NQ64 and a re-entry of Zanna Group.

Thom Hetherington, chief executive of organiser Holden Media, said: “It’s been an immensely challenging period for hospitality, but I think the North’s operators have demonstrated incredible tenacity, resilience and creativity to come through so strongly. I’m delighted to see the region’s leading restaurants, bars and pubs looking to the future with plans for new sites, new launches and new concepts, and it’s no surprise to see the recent industry data showing that new openings in northern cities are running at twice the level of London.”

The Kuits NRB Top Fifty 2022, listed alphabetically by company, included:

• Terry Laybourne, 21 Hospitality Group
• James Baer, Amber Taverns
• Gary Roberts, Amber Taverns
• Anni Opong, Arc Inspirations
• Chris Ure, Arc Inspirations
• Martin Wolstencroft, Arc Inspirations
• Amer Rafiq, Archies
• Imran Rafiq, Archies
• Irfan Rafiq, Archies
• Asim Rafiq, Archies
• Morgan Davies, Barburrito
• Marko Husak, Bundobust
• Mayur Patel, Bundobust
• Rob Cameron, By the River Co / Wylam Brewery
• Dave Stone, By the River Co / Wylam Brewery
• David Soley, Camerons Brewery
• Chris Soley, Camerons Brewery
• Tim Bird, Cheshire Cat Pub & Bars
• Mary McLaughlin, Cheshire Cat Pub & Bars
• Jonathan Heyes, Common & Co
• Charlotte Heyes, Common & Co
• Barry Ladhar, Crafted Projects
• Michael Ladhar, Crafted Projects
• Zack Issak, Dabangg
• Richard Bailey, Daniel Thwaites
• Naveen Handa, East Coast Concepts
• Vernon Lord, East Coast Concepts
• Simon Shaw, El Gato Tapas / Mill Hill Developments
• Gary Usher, Elite Bistros
• Oliver Robinson, Frederic Robinson
• William Robinson, Frederic Robinson
• John Ennis, Graffiti Spirit
• Matthew Farrell, Graffiti Spirit
• Matt Snell, Gusto
• Rob Bacon, Hickory's Smokehouse
• Jason Bligh, Hickory's Smokehouse
• Neil McDonnell, Hickory's Smokehouse
• John Welsh, Hickory's Smokehouse
• Ashley Kollakowski, Hit the North
• Simon Stevens, Hit the North
• Sean Donkin, Inn Collection Group
• Ian Goulding, Inn Collection Group
• James Warburton, James' Places
• William Lees Jones, JW Lees
• Kit Graves, Lake District Hotels
• Charles Graves, Lake District Hotels
• Danielle Hope, Lake District Hotels
• Paul Moran, Living Ventures
• Jeremy Roberts, Living Ventures
• James Bates, Maray
• Dominic Jones, Maray
• Thomas White, Maray
• Nina Bigland, Milestone Group
• Matt Bigland, Milestone Group
• Roy Ellis, Mission Mars
• Neil Macleod, Mission Mars
• Nisha Katona, Mowgli Street Food
• Lucy Nelson, Nelson Hotels
• Andrew Nelson, Nelson Hotels
• Jesper Friis, New World Trading Company
• John Gyngell, North Bar/North Brewing
• Christian Townsley, North Bar/North Brewing
• Andy Haygarth, NQ64
• Matt Robson, NQ64
• Jamie Lawson, Ossett Brewery Pub Company
• Jamie Hawksworth, Pivovar & Tapped Brew Co
• Jonathon Holdsworth, Pivovar & Tapped Brew Co
• Rob Pitcher, Revolution Bars Group
• Ben Jones, Roxy Leisure
• Matthew Jones, Roxy Leisure
• Carlo Distefano, San Carlo Group
• Marcello Distefano, San Carlo Group
• Tomas Maunier, Southern Wind Group
• Steve Pilling, St Joseph's
• Adam Jones, Tattu
• Drew Jones, Tattu
• Simon Potts, the Alchemist Bar & Restaurant
• Jobe Ferguson, the Liars Club Group
• Lyndon Higginson, the Liars Club Group
• Ross Mackenzie, the Liars Club Group
• Andrew Pern, the Star at Harome/Star Inn the City
• Aaron Mellor, Tokyo Industries
• Simon Rogan, Umbel Restaurant Group
• Sarah Cook, Vaulkhard Group
• Oliver Vaulkhard, Vaulkhard Group
• Harry Vaulkhard, Vaulkhard Group
• Andrew Wildsmith, Wildsmith Hotels
• Sax Arshad, Zanna Group