Cateys 2023: Restaurateur of the Year – Group: Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux

Big Mamma's Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux win Restaurateur of the Year - Group, sponsored by Entegra

When Gloria burst on to the London dining scene in 2019 it screamed ‘come here for fun’, with OTT tongue-in-cheek decor, cheeky dish names and a young team more than adept at creating a party atmosphere.

Its success was instantaneous, with a queue of people snaking through Shoreditch hoping to secure a table every night of the week.

Behind Gloria’s success was Big Mamma Group, founded in Paris by Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, in homage to the traditional Italian trattoria serving good food and a great atmosphere at affordable prices. Since 2019 the group has replicated the success of Gloria across four more London locations, each with its own distinct identity, but delivering the same in-your-face fun.

Last year Lugger told The Caterer: “We try to do four things and four things only: good, cheap, serve with a smile, and a great atmosphere and design. If you do that, you’ll be packed every day.” As simple as Lugger makes the business model sound, a lot more goes into Big Mamma’s success. The founders, along with members of their team, scour Italy for small-scale suppliers to work with, ensuring there is authenticity at the heart of their offering.

In 2019 Lugger told The Caterer: “Everything that is better in Italy, we buy in Italy, direct from the producer. Everything that is not, we buy locally. We buy from small producers, all of whom sign our charter. We have a very strong commitment to suppliers about how we work with them, so they can build a lasting relationship with us because they are very small. I’m happy to say I’m proud of 100% of the products we have; it’s probably the only KPI where the only acceptable metric is 100%.”

There is an earnestness to their efforts, but once the menus are written, the show begins and it is here the ingenuity behind Big Mammas success is realised. Whether it’s a carbonara served tableside from a huge pecorino wheel, a storeys-high lemon meringue pie or a giant stracciatella gelato carved and topped with chocolate sauce in front of the guest, many dishes have become social media sensations, feeding those snaking queues.

Behind the razzmatazz are some serious sustainability credentials. Big Mamma has achieved B-Corp status and uses 100% renewable energy across it sites.

On top of this, 71% of promotions are internal, 48% of managers are women and 12% of employees are minorities. The group has also raised more than £140,000 for charity ThinkForward, which provides personalised coaching plans to young people with barriers to employment.

Our judges praised the group for creating “fabulously outrageous, flamboyant restaurants” at an ambitious scale and with sound financial credentials.

What the judges said

“Game changer, bringing glamour to the classic Trattoria in UK and beyond (Splendido).” Iain Donald

“The Big Mamma boys bring fun and extravagance to the London restaurant world.” Kavi Thakrar

The shortlist

• Nisha Katona, Mowgli
• Andy Laurillard, Giggling Squid
• Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, Big Mamma Group
• Alex Reilley, Jake Bishop and Dave Reid, Loungers
• Martin Williams, Rare Restaurants

The judges

• Iain Donald, Iain Donald Restaurant Consultancy
• Kate Nicholls, UKHospitality
• John Nugent, Green & Fortune
• Robin Rowland, TriSpan
• Kavi Thakrar, Dishoom
• Kevin Watson, NEC Group