The Craft Guild of Chef Awards Culinary Hero Award is voted for by the organisations members and other industry colleagues. Nominations were sought for chefs from any part of the hospitality and catering industry for a specific achievement or for commitment over many years, the criteria for nomination were:
- Have a proven track record
- Be a highly professional craftsperson
- Demonstrate true passion for food
- Show clear examples of excellence and achievement in their field
Voting deadline: Friday 3 May 2024
The winner will be announced at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards on Monday 24 June at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London , click here to book your place and see the winner revealed.
Please read the citations for the shortlisted contenders then vote for your winner below.
Daniel Ayton, Culinary Advisor Consultant - Chefbytes
Daniel is a nationally-renowned chef and is a highly respected member of some of the most prodigious Guilds and Societies and a competition judge. By demonstrating the highest professional standards, he is able to influence and guide the criteria to broaden and yet still maintain the highest standards, thus discovering the talents of and promoting young chefs of the future to go forward in representing the UK.
Through his voluntary help and guidance of over 15 years with Westminster Kingsway College he received an Honorary Fellowship reflecting the high esteem in which he is regarded and recognising his contribution to its Catering and Hospitality Apprentice Courses.
His biggest passion is to encourage and support young people in the hospitality industry, seeking ways to increase their opportunities, through his voluntary work with the Clink Charity, international competition, World Skills, The Prince’s Trust, Hospitality Action, British Heart Foundation, also Springboard of which he is Ambassador.
Daniel has first-hand experience of coeliac disease and through research whilst studying at the University of West London, he provided the knowledge and vital advice nationally on how those suffering from the disease can have an equal and safe dining experience.
Daniel also organises charity dinners raising vital funds for hospitality charities including Springboard, Hospitality Action, student enhancement programmes, the Clink charity, and this year he is raising money for Foxes, a college that teaches life skills for young adults with learning difficulties; also with a small hotel it enables these students independence working in the hospitality industry. Past students include Cameron Corrick who went on to work for Pig hotels.
In addition to these charities supported by Daniel he also privately fundraises and supports; Chefs for Heroes; Futurechef; Culinary Ability Awards; Chefs Without Borders; he became a Hospitality Thought Leader campaigning for Carbon Free Dining and Zero Kitchen Waste.
VOTE BELOW
Alex MacKay, Head Chef – Sofea Nourish and Flourish Kitchen
I have known Alex for over 30 years and he has a lifetime of food experience.
Alex is a very talented Chef, teacher, writer, gardener; passionate to help everybody within the community and a food lover to his adorable core. He is a larger than life character, a proud Kiwi, who is loved for his infectious zest for life and positive aura around every single person he encounters.
Alex arrived in Europe at 18 years old from his beloved, native New Zealand to work in Michelin starred kitchens in the UK, Italy and France. He has been Head Cookery School Tutor at Le Manoir Aux Quait’ Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire UK and founded of The Baou D’infer Cookery School in Provence, France.
During the lockdowns, Alex wanted to support and help anybody and everybody he could so he prepared, cooked and delivered over 8,000 meals for the care workers of Oxfordshire who were inundated, exhausted, overwhelmed and depleted. He cooked for the NHS, care home workers, critical care workers, supermarket workers and his elderly and vulnerable neighbours with his typical positive energy, enthusiasm and generosity.
In addition to this extraordinary effort, for the last five years Alex has been planning a production and training kitchen with Sofea UK's CEO Richard Kennell and Fare Share UK, Nourish and Flourish. This will be a kitchen that utilises supermarkets’ waste food and turns it into delicious, nutritious meals for a multitude of people in this community. This is his most important work to date and to see the pleasure this brings to him and so many others is amazing.
The Nourish and Flourish kitchen has been well planned with Alex leading the community hub kitchen with a team of vulnerable and challenged individuals. Gently moulding them into a great team producing thousands of delicious meals for those in need. Many are neuro diverse, struggling with mental health and learning difficulties and those not given the time to flourish in the conventional education systems and or workplace.
In addition, King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited the Sofea Thames Valley unit in Didcot, on his Majesty’s 75th birthday, to launch his Coronation Food Project which pledges to reduce all forms of waste in the food supply chain. Alex had the honour of showing their Majesties around his Nourish and Flourish kitchen to meet the team and show what is being achieved. This visit featured on the King's Christmas speech regarding his ongoing sustainability directives.
VOTE BELOW
Stuart Rose, Executive Chef Scottish Parliament - Sodexo
Stuart Rose is described by contract director Michelle Rae as ‘an inspirational and remarkable person’. Stuart has dedicated more than 20 years of his career as a chef to Sodexo’s Scottish Parliament contract, joining in August 1999 as a Chef de Partie, rising to Head Chef in 2005 and Executive Chef in October 2019. In that time he has not only showcased incredible culinary knowledge and passion for his craft, but mentored his team to grow, developed programmes with a network of catering colleges, and built an eco-system of suppliers with representation from across the twelve regions of Scotland. Through food and his contribution to the industry, he embodies the parliament's aims to represent all of Scotland.
Stuart is a kidney dialysis patient who is on the transplant list, he needs to receive hospital treatment three times a week. The way he successfully manages his health challenges and remains committed and able to deliver such a high-quality service has won him wide respect from all stakeholders. Stuart is open about his condition and acts as an ambassador for Kidney Research UK. He promotes the industry as an inclusive career choice for those with disabilities and role models this himself.
The Scottish Parliament is Sodexo’s highest-profile contract in Scotland, and sometimes unpredictable. Stuart leads a brigade of 20 who provide the food service offer across six outlets along with catering for over 500 events throughout the year. These range from simple internal meetings to high-profile functions, which are often briefed to Stuart and the team at short notice and require utter discretion to protect visiting dignitaries.
Stuart has handled hundreds of these events with ease but was put to the ultimate test during Operation London Bridge/Unicorn, the plan that sprang into action following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. With just 48 hours’ notice, Sodexo was advised of a planned royal ceremonial visit to the Scottish Parliament by King Charles III and the Queen Consort. In his usual unflappable manner, Stuart led from the front to cater for the royal couple, 160 MSPs, and guests.
Stuart excels in extraordinary circumstances, the way he inspires his team and his commitment to promoting the craft make him a ‘culinary hero’ day in, day out.
Just some of Stuart's recent achievements:
• Developed a student take-over programme in which each month 10+ students from local colleges get to take over the Parliament’s fine dining restaurant to cook for MSP’s and gain valuable industry experience. To date over 250 students have benefited from the programme
• Mentored his Chef de Partie to the finals of Sodexo chef of the year
• Judged Scottish Chef of the Year semi-finals
• Supported the Scottish Parliament with food innovation and customer engagement
• Showcased regional Scottish produce at large high-profile scale events, including Presiding Officer dinners and visits by the Dalai Lama, David Cameron, Irish President Michael Higgins and a wide range of diplomats from national consulates.
VOTE BELOW
Mathew Shropshall, Chef Lecturer – University College Birmingham College of Food
Mathew Shropshall, Vice Chairman of the British Culinary Federation, has worked at the College of Food for over 25 years, both part-time and full-time, focusing on supporting and seeing young people achieve their dreams in working within the catering and hospitality sector, of which he holds a B.A. Hons; PGCE and M.A.
The education of young chefs around the UK has been his motivation, providing guidance to young people, giving up his spare time to support different events and initiatives for those coming into the hospitality industry. There are very few Chef Lecturers to have had so much involvement with the education of future chefs, as well as giving so much back to the industry, which earned him the title “Craft Guild of Chefs Chef Lecturer of the Year 2017.”
Formerly a Chef Patron at an early age with running his own business for 8 years, Mathew has also trained with many top chefs around the country and worked in New Product Development, before taking up the role of Chef Lecturer, which he has excelled in. A very committed and busy chef, and while working at UCB as Chef Lecturer, Mathew has been involved with and supported many initiatives in the industry, which have not only benefitted himself and UCB but also his students and the industry. He has not only supported and encouraged his students to enter many competitions, but has also competed himself, standing up to be counted, winning numerous medals and awards. He has been a huge advocate of the UCB Young Future Chefs Academy, giving up his Saturday mornings teaching and encouraging young schoolchildren to cook and to try and attract them into the industry.
Currently, England’s National Junior Team Manager for the British Culinary Federation, a position he has held for 11 years, attaining medal standards at the Culinary World Cup and the Culinary Olympics with every entry and visit.
Mathew gives so much more up and above his full-time role. Not only with England’s Junior Team but with many other important industry events, including:
Judge and Mentor of Springboard’s Future Chef; LACA and at HRC. As if all of this was not enough, he has supported Acorns Childrens’ Hospice, organising charity football matches over the last ten years, raising thousands of pounds for the charity.
Awarded the BCF Louis Cipolla Award for huge contributions to the profession and the Paul Gould OBE Award for his contribution in the competition arena. 2023 also saw Mathew’s student competitor win the prestigious Nestle Toque d’Or. Appointed Vice-Chairman of World Chefs’ International Chefs Day, supported by Nestlé, he helps colleges and schools to get the message out around the world on eating healthy food by producing a promotional video which is sent out to all 192 countries in the World Chefs membership.
On top of all this, Mathew finds the time to cook at the Birmingham Christmas Shelter every Christmas, feeding the homeless and helping them to receive comfort and the feeling of being wanted at this special time of the year.
Nothing is ever too much trouble and he has devoted so much of his own time to our industry over numerous years.
VOTE BELOW
Graham Singer, Culinary Director for ESS, part of Compass UK&I.
Graham oversees the feeding of thousands of customers weekly across ESS’ Energy, Government and Infrastructure contracts. He leads on culinary strategy, recipe and menu development, foodservice delivery, colleague competency and skills development.
He’s also Culinary Director for Compass Scotland where he delivers culinary strategy and leadership, including designing and implementing Compass’ chef development programmes across Scotland.
Graham has been instrumental in delivering a range of additional business-critical activity over the past two years:
• Mobilisations including Ithaca onshore/offshore, Repsol onshore/offshore, Southampton Airport, Welsh Parliament and Metropolitan Police.
• Supporting clients at high-profile events, including Remembrance Weekend, Notting Hill Carnival, Ukraine Recovery Conference, the King’s Coronation and State Funeral for HM Queen Elizabeth II.
• Mentoring chefs in preparation for events including Salon Culinaire, ScotHot and the 2024 Culinary Olympics.
Graham is passionate about having a positive impact in his local community. This is strongly demonstrated through the work he does to support those who are less fortunate over the festive period.
In the week leading up to Christmas-2023, Graham led a team of volunteers in preparing and delivering 4,500 meals for charities and organisations supporting people in the Aberdeenshire area. These included food pantries, churches, sheltered housing, community centres and the Aberdeen Council Homeless Service.
The volunteers prepared a selection of eight main courses to go into meal packs which would feed people for several days over Christmas, with the recipient organisations noting that these would be the only hot meals some of their beneficiaries would have access to over the festive period.
The team also provided hampers containing Christmas confectionary, festive selection boxes and staple food items of soups, pasta, cooking sauces, rice, biscuits, tea, coffee and ambient ready meals.
The work followed similar initiatives in 2022 and 2021 when Graham led teams that prepared over 4,000 meals and 2,500 meals respectively.
Graham has ongoing relationships with several charitable organisations, including Social Bite and Aberdeen Cyrenians, which support the homeless and vulnerable. He has prepared meals for the organisation’s beneficiaries and coordinated clothing contributions for volunteers.
He also leads projects to support the UK Oil & Gas Chaplaincy which offers pastoral care and financial support to those who work or have worked in the industry and their dependents. These have included developing a soft drink in collaboration with two suppliers, with a percentage of proceeds going to the charity.
VOTE BELOW
Vivek Singh, Executive Chef and CEO – Cinnamon Collection
Vivek Singh is a culinary luminary whose passion, innovation, and commitment to excellence have elevated Indian fine dining to unparalleled heights. With a global reputation as one of the masters of Indian cuisine, Vivek's culinary prowess transcends borders, seamlessly blending modern Indian flavours with Western techniques to create extraordinary culinary experiences.
As the Executive Chef & CEO of four renowned restaurants—The Cinnamon Club, Cinnamon Kitchen City, Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea, Cinnamon Bazaar Covent Garden and soon Cinnamon Bazaar Richmond —Vivek has carved a distinctive niche in the culinary landscape. His newest venture, Cinnamon Bazaar Richmond, promises to further captivate palates and redefine the culinary scene.
Beyond his culinary endeavours, Vivek is a prolific author, with five cookbooks to his name, offering insight into the rich tapestry of Indian cuisine. His dynamic presence on television and live cookery events across the nation serves as an inspiration to aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts alike.
Vivek's leadership extends beyond the kitchen, overseeing a team of over 150 individuals who attest to his nurturing, caring, and inspiring leadership style. His commitment to nurturing talent is exemplified through his apprenticeship programme, which provides aspiring chefs with invaluable hands-on experience and mentorship, paving the way for their future success.
Furthermore, Vivek's dedication to fostering collaboration and showcasing emerging talent is evident through his hosting of collaborative supper clubs across the Cinnamon Collection restaurants. These events serve as platforms for up-and-coming chefs to shine, further enriching the culinary landscape.
Vivek's philanthropic endeavours underscore his commitment to giving back to the community. He actively supports various hospitality and community-based charities, including Action Against Hunger, Find Your Feet, Mosaic, and Wooden Spoon, serving as a charity patron for Hospitality Action. Notably, his recent participation in the Too Many Critics Charity lunch, where Vivek closed down the restaurant to cater for 200 people, resulted in an astounding £121k raised for the cause, showcasing his unwavering dedication to making a meaningful impact.
VOTE BELOW
