The exclusive lunch, hosted at the Michelin-starred HIDE restaurant in London’s Mayfair, brought together the winners and sponsors of the prestigious The Staff Canteen Awards to honour the exceptional qualities of the award recipients, who represent the finest in the hospitality industry.
The award recipients who attended the special event included:
Chef of the Year – Tom Aikens, Chef Patron, Muse by Tom Aikens
Social Media Influencer – Craig Miles, Development Chef, Bidfood
Member of the Year- Jack Bond, Head Chef, The Cottage in the Woods
Hospitality Hero – Ursula Boardman, Head of Centre, The CRUMBS Project
The Staff Canteen platform celebrated Ursula by honouring her with the ‘Hospitality Hero’ award, recognising her 17 years’ experience at The CRUMBS Project of working with people with disabilities and promoting them into the industry.
Ursula spoke about what attending the event meant to her, and guest Head of Operations, Lee Whalley;
The CRUMBS Project believes in a world where people are helped to be equally valuable employees and become independent in their lives. Our goal is to dismantle barriers in the hospitality industry and create more employment opportunities for people with disabilities, as they represent a valuable source of talent.
Joining The Staff Canteen Awards winner’s lunch at HIDE was an incredible experience for Lee and me. We had the chance to speak with each of the winners, their guests, and the event’s sponsors, sharing more about our charity’s work and the benefits of becoming disability confident. By advocating for more inclusive workforces, these organisations can enhance their own profiles while reaping benefits like improving team morale and customer relationships.
Hospitality is all about creating a welcoming environment, offering warm and friendliness which was really evident amongst the group of attendees. This event was a terrific opportunity to meet new people, make connections, and raise awareness of our charity’s efforts within the industry. The dining experience at HIDE was also absolutely fantastic and such a pleasure to have a tour of HIDE, and see what goes on at the Michel-starred restaurant.
Ursula Boardman, Head of Centre for The CRUMBS Project and ‘Hospitality Hero’
The Staff Canteen Award Sponsors: Alaska Seafood, Chef Works, Compass, Exmoor Caviar, Lightspeed, Major International, Nyetimber, RATIONAL, Scotland Food & Drink, Scotland House.
The Staff Canteen Award Winners 2024/25:
Chef of the Year – Tom Aikens, Chef Patron, Muse by Tom Aikens
Social Media Influencer – Craig Miles, Development Chef, Bidfood
Member of the Year- Jack Bond, Head Chef, The Cottage in the Woods
Hospitality Hero – Ursula Boardman, Head of Centre, The CRUMBS Project
One to Watch – Stevie Higginson, Chef Owner, Square Bistro
Front of House Team of the Year – Laura Siddle and team, Faru
Sustainable business – Tom Heywood and team, Pignut
Kitchen Porter of the Year – Lee Mullen, Kitchen Porter, Moss & Moor
