Food and Beverage Manager of the Year Food and Beverage Manager of the Year Sponsored by Britvic
THE SHORTLIST Ross Clark
Waldorf Astoria
Edinburgh – the Caledonian
Sam Cotton
De Vere Tortworth Court
Leo Forte
The Milestone Hotel & Residences
Ewelina Matysiewicz Park Plaza London Riverbank
Aga Szopa The Chester Grosvenor
WINNER 2023
Ross Clark, Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – the Caledonian
Ross Clark received the highest possible praise from the judges, having been described as someone they too would like to work with. Having raised both guest and team satisfac- tion to unprecedented levels, Clark has been hailed as a prime example of an exceptional leader in hospitality. Clark joined the Waldorf Astoria Edin-
burgh – the Caledonian seven years ago. He has played an instrumental role in devel- oping new initiatives for the hotel’s F&B department, including the hugely success- ful Afternoon Tea package at the 100-cover Peacock Alley, which changes theme every six weeks. Examples included the Van Gogh Afternoon Tea, and the Aladdin-Inspired Afternoon Tea in partnership with the Edin- burgh Playhouse and Disney. Following the Caley bar’s soft refurbishment, Clark also revamped the cocktail menu, which draws inspiration from iconic Waldorf Astoria hotels from around the world. He also personally approached and strengthened the relationship with chef pro- prietors Mark Greenaway of Grazing and Dean Banks of the Pompadour. Greenaway, who is also chef patron of the hotel, said: “Through- out my four and a half years working alongside Ross, I experienced a dedicated, professional and passionate leader who is always working towards the overall goal of making Grazing by Mark Greenaway the next best thing.” Clark has worked hard to seamlessly inte-
grate the hotel’s environmental, social and corporate governance commitments into both restaurants. He was behind the creation of the 100 Mile Menu at Grazing by Mark Greenaway, made possible through partnerships with local and sustainable spirits brands in order to serve a carbon-positive cocktail. Clark was also
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“I wouldn’t mind being part of Ross’s
team myself!” Sarah Williams
heavily involved in reintroducing a hybrid breakfast model to reduce daily food waste. In addition, Clark oversaw eight internal promotions in the F&B department in the past year, which have resulted in soaring guest sat- isfaction scores and boosted team morale. He also encourages development opportu-
nities through travel and culinary competi- tions. As a case in point, four hotel chefs took part in the 2023 ScotHot Championships and all four of them came home with a medal and Best in Class certificate. When it comes to learning, he leads by example, having com- pleted a degree in international hospitality management over the past year. And he aims to share the knowledge he has acquired with the rest of the team. One of the judges said Clark’s nomination
was the best they have seen in a long time. That alone is testament to our winner’s incred- ible talent, expertise and love for an industry he is evidently proud to be a part of.
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID “Creativity, support, passion, knowledge and plenty of enthusiasm are what shone through in Ross’ application – truly inspirational. I wouldn’t mind being part of Ross’s team myself!” Sarah Williams
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