The Best Use of Innovative Technology Award recognises outstanding achievements in leveraging technology within the food service industry

From business-empowering property management systems (PMS) to AI-enabled lightbulbs, security solutions and virtual reality innovations – this category encourages entries from ALL areas of technology, as long as the solution is disrupting the status quo.

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This award is open to a foodservice business operating in any area of the UK with a turnover of less than £20m. Entrants can come from any sector of foodservice. The winning entry will clearly demonstrate the delivery of fresh innovation, adaptation to change and value to clients and customers alongside evident commercial success over the last 12 months.

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This award is open to foodservice companies of all sizes that operate in the business & industry sector of foodservice. The winning entry will clearly demonstrate the delivery of fresh innovation, adaptation to change and value to clients and customers alongside evident commercial success over the last 12 months.

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This award is open to a chef manager with overall responsibility for food production, customer service, ordering and budget management at a single unit. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and show a clear ability to shine both front and back of house. It will clearly demonstrate culinary excellence and financial performance alongside sound leadership and team development skills, as well as a commitment to going ‘above and beyond’, while delivering value and a first class service to clients and customers. Entrants can come from any sector of foodservice.

This award is open to chefs in single or multi-site contracts as well as regional and national development roles. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will demonstrate culinary excellence and financial performance alongside sound leadership and team development skills, as well as a commitment to going ‘above and beyond’, while delivering value and a first class service to clients and customers. The winning chef can work in either a public or private site and come from any sector of foodservice.

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This award will recognise the foodservice or local authority catering business that has taken the most innovative steps to demonstrate corporate social environmental responsibility in the past 12 months. The winning entry will demonstrate a commitment to CSER that goes above and beyond what is expected of responsible operators. Entrants can come from any sector of foodservice.

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This award is open to contract and local authority catering businesses of all sizes that operate in the education sector, including state schools, independent schools, academies, free schools, further and higher education. The winning entry will clearly demonstrate the delivery of fresh innovation and value to clients and customers alongside evident commercial success over the last 12 months.

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This award is open to contract catering businesses of all sizes that operate in the event catering field, including fixed venue conference and banqueting, corporate hospitality services at sports events, both fixed site and temporary. The winning entry will clearly demonstrate the delivery of fresh innovation and value to clients and customers alongside evident commercial success over the last 12 months.

This award is open to a person or a team working in any sector of the foodservice industry. Going the extra mile could involve anticipating customer needs, helping colleagues or supporting their local community. Please include a supporting statement from colleagues and senior management.

This award is open to teams that work in front of house in all sectors of the contract and local authority foodservice industry, including event catering, staff dining, leisure and reception services. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will demonstrate a commitment to outstanding service, excellent communication skills and a relentless desire to go 'above and beyond' for clients and/or customers. Nominations can relate to both private sites and those open to the general public.

This award is open to individuals who have overall responsibility for a single site within any sector of the foodservice industry, but they may not necessarily have the job title General Manager. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will clearly demonstrate innovation and financial performance alongside sound leadership and team development skills, as well as a commitment to going ‘above and beyond’, while delivering value and a first class service to clients and customers.

This award is open to contract and local authority catering businesses of all sizes that operate in the healthcare sector, including hospitals and care catering settings. The winning entry will clearly demonstrate the delivery of fresh innovation and value to clients and customers alongside evident commercial success over the last 12 months.

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This award is open to individuals that promote healthy choices and encourages customers and colleagues to lead healthier lifestyles. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will clearly demonstrate a combination of passion, innovation, customer focus and financial performance that goes above and beyond what is expected in their job description. Entrants can come from any sector of foodservice.

This award will go to an individual, team or company that has demonstrated innovation in the last 12 months through the introduction of a new concept, product, service, process, communication, marketing initiative or business opportunity that responds to the particular needs of the foodservice industry in the UK. This award is open to operators from any sector of foodservice.

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This award is open to someone who has supported the industry over a prolonged period and could hail from any part of the foodservice business. The winner will have made a significant contribution to the industry over and above their core role. They will command respect from their peers and colleagues alike.

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In an era of hospitality when recruitment, retention, training and development have never been more important, this award recognises the initiative, project or team that has demonstrated an innovative approach to their company’s most valuable asset: its people. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will show how the nominee has added value to the business and demonstrated an ability to adapt to the changing needs of the market. Entrants can come from any sector of foodservice.

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This award is open to individuals who have responsibility for multiple sites within any sector of the foodservice industry. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will clearly demonstrate innovation and financial performance alongside sound leadership and team development skills across multiple sites, as well as a commitment to going ‘above and beyond’, while delivering value and a first class service to clients and customers.

This award is open to contract catering businesses of all sizes that operate in retail and leisure catering, including concessions in tourist attractions, museums, historical venues, public spaces, sports stadia (eg public concourses) and on the high street. The winning entry will clearly demonstrate the delivery of fresh innovation and value to clients and customers alongside evident commercial success over the last 12 months.

This award is open to individuals at the start of their career in foodservice, achieving remarkable things within their role and business. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will showcase a nominee who is developing quickly within their role and showing significant promise early on in their career. Entrants must have worked in the foodservice industry for no longer than five years and they can come from any sector of foodservice.

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This award is open to an individual with sales responsibility within any sector of foodservice. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will clearly demonstrate the scope of the nominee’s sales performance within their organisation, year-on-year progress and an ability to drive business growth. In addition the winning entry will demonstrate a commitment to going ‘above and beyond’, while delivering value and a first class service to clients and customers.

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This award will be given to a company offering goods or services to the foodservice sector. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months and it will clearly demonstrate that it has consistently delivered value to clients and customers, helping them develop their proposition and deliver a service that exceeds client expectations. Nominations can be submitted by any supplying company or foodservice operator. The winning supplier can be a product manufacturer, distributor, consultant or service provider such as recruitment or IT.

This award is open to a chef currently taking part in a foodservice apprenticeship scheme or training programme, or graduating from one in 2024. The winning entry will focus on the last 12 months. Entrants can work in either a public or private site and come from any sector of foodservice. There is no age restriction for nominees.