A food and drinks team that bounced back from an 18-month Covid closure with a record revenue year has been recognised at an independent caterer’s staff awards.
The Brighton Centre team that manages the venue’s food outlets picked up the Employee of the Year accolade as Seasoned’s staff awards returned.
Representatives were at a glittering industry party organised by the caterers at Lancaster House in London’s West End on Wednesday, July 20 to pick up their honour.
Graham Turner, Managing Partner, Venues, said: “Remobilising after 18 months of no events, concerts or conferences because of Covid to have a record revenue year is nothing short of fantastic. Our General Manager Ashleigh Robinson has led her team with exemplary leadership, and has a fantastic group of people around her to make this possible after 18 years of us being the centre’s caterer.”
Six awards were presented on the evening that celebrated the catering sector recovering after the impact of Covid, with winners receiving a gift as well as a trophy and a bottle of English sparkling wine from sponsor Digby Fine English.
The Rising Star Award (Venues) went to Naima Khaireddine, who has progressed from working as a Chef Manager for one London contract to being an Area Chef Manager. Graham said: “She exceeds customer expectations and always has a smile on her face. She really is the best ambassador for our business.
Donna Naldrett, Office Manager, was given the Managing Partner Award by Graham for going above and beyond. He said: “For the last two years Donna has been so much more than her job title. She has taken on several roles within her remit and nothing is too much trouble.”
Senior Operations Manager, Terry Korobin, was named Employee of the Year (Events). Colin Sayers, Managing Partner, Events, said: “This has been such a challenging year for Seasoned Events and Terry has been a rock for the business. We literally could not have done it without him.”
The Rising Star Award (Events) was given to Sales Manager Abi Toghill. Colin said: “Six months into her role and she has picked up and ran with a very busy department, making an instant impact on sales and hitting budget.”
Colin chose Monika Michalczuk to receive his Managing Partner Award. He said the accounts administrator was “the person who keeps Seasoned running”.
“She is everyone’s go to person to know what is going on or if they need something. She is our humble hero at Seasoned.”
Colin added: “We have always historically done these awards, but wanted to show our appreciation for the last 18 months and truly recognise the outstanding employees that have helped to rebuild our businesses.”
Trevor Clough, co-founder and CEO of Digby Fine English, which sponsored the drinks for event, said: “We have been working with Seasoned since 2015. We love that they are all about the best of British and were proud to support this evening. It has been a tough couple of years and we are delighted to see the industry returning to its former self.”
