The winners of the 2026 Catey Awards were announced last night at JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, where more than 1,000 of the UK’s leading hospitality professionals gathered to celebrate excellence across the sector.
Widely regarded as the Oscars of the hospitality industry, the Cateys recognise outstanding achievement across restaurants, hotels, foodservice, pubs, bars and wider hospitality.
Renowned restaurateur David Moore, founder of Pied à Terre in London’s Fitzrovia, and celebrated Manchester chef Mary-Ellen McTague were among those to receive top accolades at the 2026 awards, held in partnership with Square.
Sir Rocco Forte and Lady Olga Polizzi were also honoured with the International Outstanding Achievement Award for creating a collection of design-led hotels that have helped redefine modern luxury hospitality.
Moore received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of a career spanning more than three decades at the forefront of British hospitality.
He opened Pied à Terre on Charlotte Street in 1991. The restaurant remains London’s longest-standing Michelin-starred restaurant, having retained its star for more than 30 years.
The Special Award was presented to Manchester chef Mary-Ellen McTague in recognition of her work establishing charity Eat Well MCR.
Since its creation in 2020, Eat Well MCR has grown to deliver around 2,500 meals a month to families living in temporary accommodation, women taking refuge in sheltered accommodation and families experiencing food poverty and inequality.
Sir Rocco Forte and his sister Lady Olga Polizzi were recognised for their intuitive approach to service and commitment to developing people.
Their influence extends beyond the landmark hotels they have created, with former colleagues praising the pair for nurturing talent and creating opportunities for others.
The 2026 Chef Award was won by John Williams, Executive Chef at The Ritz London.
Williams, who oversees a kitchen of more than 60 chefs, joined the hotel in 2004. He previously won the Special Award Catey in 2017 and devised the menu for the Cateys’ 40th anniversary in 2023.
Alice Bussi, who won Food and Beverage Manager of the Year at the 2018 Hotel Cateys, and Acorn alumnus Allister Barsby received Restaurateur of the Year – Independent for their Kent restaurant Hide and Fox.
The restaurant won a second Michelin star in last year’s guide.
Tom Byng, who has led Flat Iron since 2021, won Restaurateur of the Year – Group.
This year also saw the introduction of the Pastry Chef of the Year Award, launched to celebrate creativity and distinction within the discipline.
The inaugural winner was Ross Sneddon, Executive Pastry Chef at The Balmoral, Edinburgh, and Brown’s Hotel, London.
The Caterer also awarded a one-off This Is Hospitality Award, decided for the first time by an industry vote.
The winner was South West family-run hospitality company the Pony Group, founded by siblings Josh and Holly Eggleton.
The Caterer readers voted for the group after being inspired by its commitment to giving back, including taking its Pony Bus to schools and events to provide food education through its Community Interest Company.
The Caterer editor James Stagg said: “Congratulations to all of our outstanding winners. It has been special to be able to celebrate such excellence in hospitality at an event that demonstrates just what the best of the best can deliver.
“For that we are truly grateful to event partner Square for its support and the team at Exclusive Hotels for their determination to use the Cateys as a force for good, delivering an outstanding menu and memorable overall experience.
“From driving the seasonality and local sourcing of the menu, including growing all the elderflower for our ‘Hugo Spritz’ dessert wine and mint for the mint tea, to bringing a taste of its spa experiences, Exclusive Collection elevated the awards to new levels.
“Thanks also to Matthew Clark Bibendum, who rose to the challenge of supplying English wine that partnered perfectly with the Exclusive Collection menu. It’s a night all of our guests will cherish.”
Cateys guests enjoyed a menu designed by six chefs from hotel group Exclusive Collection.
All ingredients were sourced from the British Isles and surrounding waters, with many grown or foraged from the group’s estate grounds.
The menu included Cornish crab with custard, cucumber, apple and culture cream from Steve Smith, Head Chef at one-Michelin-starred Latymer restaurant at Pennyhill Park.
Ben Wilkinson, Head Chef at one-Michelin-starred restaurant The Pass at South Lodge, cooked a main course of roast loin of lamb with dumpling of lamb shoulder and liver, grilled gem lettuce and roasted new potatoes.
For dessert, guests were served Sarah Frankland’s Eton Mess, featuring Pennyhill Park honey, New Forest strawberries and English apple cider balsamic sorbet.
The 2026 Cateys winners included:
This Is Hospitality Award – Josh Eggleton and Holly Eggleton, the Pony Family
Best Marketing Campaign Award – Feast Events
Manager of the Year Award – Jennifer McCabe, art’otel London Battersea Power Station
Best Use of Technology Award – Canopy by Hilton London City
Public Sector Caterer Award – Olive Dining
Health and Nutrition Award – Jody Marshall, Meallmore
Newcomer Award – Hansom Restaurant
Menu of the Year Award – Shwen Shwen
Sustainable Business Award, SME – Catch at the Old Fish Market
Sustainable Business Award – Levy UK & Ireland
Pub and Bar Award – The Beckford Group
Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Alice Bussi and Allister Barsby, Hide and Fox
Restaurateur of the Year – Group. –Tom Byng, Flat Iron
Best Employer Award – Pan Pacific London
Wine and Spirit Ambassador Award – Sunny Hodge, Diogenes the Dog and Aspen & Meursault
Education and Training Award – Sonia Phelps, Thomas Franks
Hotel of the Year – Group – Kimpton Fitzroy London
Hotel of the Year – Independent – The Belfry Hotel & Resort
Foodservice Caterer Award – Simon Houston and Dave Hawkes, Houston and Hawkes
Pastry Chef of the Year Award – Ross Sneddon, The Balmoral and Brown’s Hotel
Chef Award – –John Williams, The Ritz London
Special Award – Mary-Ellen McTague
International Outstanding Achievement Award. –Sir Rocco Forte
Lifetime Achievement Award – David Moore