A Night of Inspiration and Impact: 2025 BIH Spotlight Award Winners
A Night of Inspiration and Impact: 2025 BIH Spotlight Award Winners
On Monday night, in the presence of over 300 guests, we announced the sixteen 2025 BIH Spotlight Award winners. The event took place at the dazzling Quaglino’s, London, on Monday, 13th October.
The evening was filled with electrifying energy and heartfelt speeches as we celebrated the exceptional diversity within hospitality, food, and drink across the UK.
From a pool of nominees, 60 finalists, the 16 BIH Spotlight Award winners were announced across a wide range of individual and business categories, including Nina Matsunaga (The Black Bull Inn) for Chef of the Year, Hot ‘N’ Juicy Shrimp for Brand of the Year, and Gina Knight, Head of People at Flat Iron Steak, for Head Office Impact.
Additional awards presented included Beverage Innovator of the Year, Writer of the Year, Rising Star, Bar/Pub of the Year, and a series of cuisine categories — African Food, Caribbean Food, East & Southeast Asian Food, Middle Eastern Food, and South Asian Food. The People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year and People’s Choice Person of the Year were decided by the public, following over 2,000 votes cast.
This year, we introduced two new award categories: Wine Professional of the Year and Industry Icon of the Year.
Industry Leading Judges
With such an impressive calibre of nominees, selecting the winners was entrusted to a distinguished panel of judges, including Chef and Author Shelina Permalloo, Peach 20/20 Founder and Executive Director Peter Martin, Umbrella Training Chief Executive Adele C. Oxberry, and BBQ Chef and Writer Melissa Thompson. Each brought deep industry expertise, fairness, and a shared commitment to celebrating excellence throughout the hospitality industry.
Reflections from our CEO & Headline Sponsor OpenTable
Lorraine Copes, CEO & Founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, said, “These awards are the beating heart of our mission to celebrate and uplift hospitality talent across the UK. This year has shown just how powerful collaboration can be – from partners and sponsors to our wider community, all coming together to champion creativity, resilience, and innovation. We’re proud to shine a light on those making an impact today, while inspiring the next generation to shape an inclusive and thriving future for our industry.”
Sasha Shaker, UK and Ireland’s Senior Director at OpenTable, said, “We are delighted to be headline sponsor of this year’s awards. Every nominee and winner truly reflects the remarkable talent in UK hospitality. Our industry is built on welcoming everyone and these awards showcase how fostering inclusion empowers teams and enriches the diner experience.”
Meet the 2025 BIH Spotlight Award Winners
Individual Awards:
Chef of the Year – Sponsored by Caterer.com
Nina Matsunaga – The Black Bull Inn, Sedbergh
Rising Star – Sponsored by Ting
Eron Mibo – Tales and Tails UK
Writer of the Year – Sponsored by Eko Brewery
Angela Zaher – Food Writer
Wine Professional of the Year – Sponsored by Decanter
Leona De Pasquale – Camellia and Vine
Beverage Innovator of the Year – Sponsored by Moët Hennessy
Sherwin Acebuche – Tarsier Southeast Asian Spirit
Head Office Impact – Sponsored by Umbrella Training Ltd
Gina Knight – Flat Iron Steak
Industry Icon of the Year – Sponsored by Be Inclusive Hospitality
Tevin Tobun – Founder of ROUTD and GV Group
Cuisine Awards:
African Food – Sponsored by The Voice
Khadim Mane – Little Baobab
Caribbean Food – Sponsored by The Voice
Nikki Whyte – Patois
East and Southeast Asian Food – Sponsored by Tarsier Spirit
Kaneda Pen – Mamapen
South Asian Food
Kanthi Thamma – The Spice Circuit
Middle Eastern Food
Jad Youssef – Lebnani Restaurant
Business Awards:
Bar/Pub of the Year – Sponsored by OpenTable
Deano Moncrieffe – Hacha Bar
Brand of the Year – Sponsored by Deliveroo
Hot ‘N’ Juicy Shrimp LDN
People’s Choice:
People’s Choice Person of the Year – Sponsored by Bibendum
Emanuele Mensah – The Connaught Bar
People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year – Sponsored by OpenTable
Sham Mahabir – LIMIN SOUTHBANK
A huge congratulations to all the 2025 BIH Spotlight Award winners! Discover more about this year’s finalists here.