30 | Hospitality Today | Oct/Nov 2015


The AA Hospitality Awards were celebrated at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane on 5th October.


The Awards are considered to be the industry’s own ‘Oscars’ and draw on the unrivalled knowledge and expertise of the AA inspectorate and other industry professionals involved in the judging process. Winners are selected in recognition of excellence and success within their chosen category, having shown a significant improvement in the preceding 12 – 18 months and proving their dedication to raising industry standards and enhancing both their guest and diner experiences.


All the winners will appear in the latest edition of the 2016 AA Hotel, Restaurant and Pub Guides, which were launched at the event.


Guests at the event, hosted by Fiona Bruce, were treated to a gastronomic menu created the 2014 AA Chef’s Chef, Nathan Outlaw. The winners included:


AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year 2015 Winner: Daniel Clifford (main photo)


Clifford is one of the country’s most respected chefs, and rightfully so. His background in working in some of the best restaurants in the UK and France has led to an absolute focus on purity of flavour in his cooking.


Quietly going about his business and committed to the stove, his food and Midsummer House has evolved and matured into one of this country’s finest restaurants.


Clifford’s pursuit of continual development, sheer dedication for perfection and exemplary belief in his craft, has made him an inspiration to so many chefs at all levels.


AA Hospitality AA Lifetime Achievement Award


Winner: Robin Hutson (below, right) This award recognises professionals within the hospitality industry who have committed their lives to the pursuit of perfection within their discipline, and there is no doubt that Hutson has the midas touch when it comes to hospitality.


Hutson’s career began with on the Savoy Group’s management training programme including periods at Claridge’s, The Berkeley and Hotel de Crillon in Paris. He then went on to work for the Five Star Elbow Beach Hotel in Bermuda for two years before being offered the General Managers position at Chewton Glen in the New Forest. He would spend the next eight years there leaving as the Managing Director.


Hutson then co-founded the highly successful Hotel Du Vin group which is generally recognised as the vanguard of the UK boutique hotel movement. After just ten years they sold the Hotel Du Vin group and Hutson joined the Soho House Group as Executive Chairman. During his time the group doubled in size and was later sold for £105M.


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