Acorn Awards 2024: Toby Bonnett, 29, mobilisation and project lead, BaxterStorey

Age 29

Position Mobilisation and project lead, BaxterStorey

Nominator Joanna Flood, internal communication manager, BaxterStorey

Toby Bonnett has proved himself a master of innovation during his career at BaxterStorey. Starting in the graduate programme at the UBS contract in 2017, he has been described as getting “stuck in from day one”, spending time with each department and in just five years progressing from trainee manager to his current role.

In 2019 as retail services manager at UBS, his rebrand and repositioning of the service and introduction of local street food trader pop-ups, an evening service and desk delivery service saw him push weekly turnover of £35,000 into a monthly record of £250,000.

This paved the way for Bonnett to become commercial manager for the wider UBS contract, where he found his passion – technology. By 2022, he was made head of projects, overseeing renovations and mobilisations for 10 blue-chip clients.

It was at UBS that Bonnett revealed his exceptional talent. Working with Dynamify, he created the UK’s first electronic point of sale-free digital restaurant. Serving over 2,000 covers a day, the technology streamlined operations, reduced costs and enhanced the customer experience through click and collect, scan and go, desk-delivery, push notifications and artificial intelligence-driven upselling. It also freed up 10 staff to interact with customers or cook. Customer spend increased 50% to £6.18 through the app, which was credited as the main reason why BaxterStorey was awarded a five-year contract extension with UBS.

As well as attending careers fairs with the Edge Hotel School, Bonnett is a committed mentor. He has guided one individual from a degree apprentice to deputy general manager and also works with degree apprentices.

Who has been your biggest champion in the industry along your career journey and why?

"I know it’s a common answer, but Danny Meyer has always been incredibly inspiring for me. His unpretentious appreciation for hospitality in all its forms, from hot dogs and burgers to three-star dining is incredibly refreshing. 

How do you go about getting the best out of your team?

"We are such an innovation- and technology-focused team that I try my best not to restrict my team and to get them as comfortable as possible with failure and mistakes. We create a ’try things, fail fast, iterate’ kind of culture. If you aren’t failing you aren’t pushing the boundaries far enough."

What excites you most about the future of your role and/or hospitality?

"Being in the hospitality tech space at the moment is incredible. The growth of artificial intelligence never ceases to blow my mind! A lot of people are intimidated or scared by the prospect, however, I can’t wait to see how fast or personalised experiences can get in different sectors of the hospitality industry. I really think it’s going to be crucial to our strategy to exceed guests and customers expectations in the future."