The Association of Catering Excellence (ACE) announced the winner of the 2018 ACE Robyns Award, which is sponsored by Troika, at its annual summer party held on board Sodexo’s Bateaux London on Wednesday 18 July.
James Pike, Green & Fortune’s General Manager at Sea Containers House was declared the overall winner in front of over 200 hospitality guests.
Pike oversees a number of buzzing cafés, bars and staff restaurants at Green & Fortune’s Sea Containers site on the South Bank, as well as Events which boasts six events spaces and a capacity of up to 600.
Pike said, I’m passionate about progressing in this fantastic and diverse industry, I have been fortunate enough to have been afforded some great professional opportunities and also enjoyed several amazing experiences. I received some great simple advice from my Grandad which I hope will continue to serve me well ‘whatever you are doing, do it well and good things will follow’.”
In second place was Florence McFarlane from Genuine Dining Co., Catrin Aherne from The Clink took third place and Amelia Heminway from BaxterStorey was highly commended.
Tim Jones, Joint Founder of CH&Co with his late wife Robyn, was one of the judges and said, “I would like to congratulate all of the entrants. We thought last year’s entries were good but they were even higher this year and we had great difficulty drawing up a shortlist as many were particularly inspiring, demonstrating the drive and initiative that Robyn was well-known for.
'The judges had to make some difficult choices, but I know that Robyn would have been very pleased with the winner and the success of the awards.”
Pike will receive an overnight stay, including dinner, breakfast, and 2 spa treatments in the NED Hotel, London; the Robyns Trophy and lifetime membership of ACE. The second and third entrants will be invited to join ACE members at their prestigious charity dinner in 2019.
Gaye Bullard, Chair of ACE said, “The ACE Robyns is now in its third year and we have started an alumni with two events a year to help emerging leaders in the industry foster their career path. We have also invited previous ACE Robyns finalists to join the ACE Council to keep that talent involved in the future of ACE.”
The judges were Gaye Bullard, Chair of ACE; Tim Jones, Founder, CH&Co.; Suzie Boyd, Director, Troika; Norman Deas, Director, GSS; Paul Hurren, Immediate Past Chair of ACE; Jo Harley, Managing Director, Purple Cubed; chaired by Vic Laws, MBE.
The ACE Robyns Award 2018 is sponsored by Troika, a recruitment company specialising in senior managerial, director and board level appointments across the hospitality industry delivering assignments for clients within contract catering, hotels, venues, branded restaurants , fine dining and emerging concepts.
The next ACE event will be Ready Steady Cook on Thursday 20 September. Visit acegb.org for details.