CGA has today announced the winners of the 2019 Hero Awards, the annual celebration of the UK’s leading brands and people in the eating and drinking-out markets.
Leading the list of 16 winners are two Asian restaurant groups who both received two Awards. Indian restaurant group Dishoom takes both the Evolutionary Brand and Best Concept Awards, and Wagamama secures the Most Admired Brand and Consumer Choice Awards. A third Asian brand, Mowgli, receives the Breakthrough Brand Award.
Other big brands on the roll call of winners include Loungers, named Best Company, Zizzi, which takes the Power Brand Award, and The Alchemist, which wins the Brand XP Award. Five Guys secures the Best Service Award, while Greene King’s Farmhouse Inns group wins the Family-Friendly Brand category.
Smaller but fast-growing operators winning Awards include Caravan, named Best Entrepreneurial Company, and Farmer J, winner of the Challenger Brand Award. Completing the list of brand winners are the recipients of two of several new Awards for 2019: Market Halls, which wins Best Destination Opening for its launch in London’s Victoria, and BrewDog, winner of the new International Award.
The Hero Awards also honour two widely respected individuals: Stonegate’s Simon Longbottom, who receives the Industry Leader Award, and London Union’s Jonathan Downey, named Disruptor of the Year.
All the winners received their Awards at a celebratory dinner following CGA’s 2019 Peach 2020 Conference in London on Wednesday 20 November.
CGA vice president Peter Martin said, “Our Award winners are the best of the best—the most inspiring brands and leaders in an industry that is filled with dynamic concepts and brilliant people.
'It’s been a challenging year for the out-of-home eating and drinking sector, but you wouldn’t guess it from the performance of these superb winners. They share the kind of energy and commitment to consumers and innovation that will stand our industry in good stead as we move into 2020.”
For the full list of winners, go to Caterlyst homepage, then the Awards Winner rollover in the right hand column.