The Café Life Awards – formerly the Café Society Awards – have been awarded to the best and most innovative in Britain’s booming café and coffee bar industry. At a ceremony in London’s Mermaid Centre, celebrity chef and café entrepreneur, Aldo Zilli presented the awards.
Speaking at the awards, Aldo Zilli said: “Café culture in the UK has evolved. In Britain people come and have coffee, surf the internet, have something to eat and stay all day. Shaped over the years by great entrepreneurs, dedicated to great food and being a social hub, the focus is – and has to be – on quality food and beverages.”
The Awards for 2014 included:
The Café Marketing Award
Sponsored by: lunch!
The judges highly commended: CAKESMITHS
The winner of this category is: PLANGLOW Gastro Collection Campaign
The Café Design Award
Sponsored by: Café Culture Magazine
The winner of the Independent Category is CAFÉ MARMALADE, BRIGHTON
In the chain category, the winner is COFFEE #1, Leominster
The Café/Coffee Bar Chain Award
Sponsored by Bel UK
This award is split into 2 categories – Chain and Chain Café Development Award
The winner for the Chain category: BOSTON TEA PARTY
Chain Café Development Award – highly commended in this category are: CAFFE PAUSA.
And the winner is M&S FLAVOURS CAFÉ
Café/Coffee Bar Independent Award
Sponsored by: Café Bronte
Judges decided to award GOLD AWARDS to:
Rhode Island, Old Market Place, Warrington
A Great Little Place, Southport
Nude Espresso, Hanbury Street, London
Kaffeine, Gt Titchfield Street, London
Trade, Commercial Street, London
Strangers Coffee House, Pottergate, Norwich
Picnic Cornwall, Church Street, Falmouth
Su Casa, Lorne Arcade, High Street, Ayr
And the winner of the Platinum Award is: TIMBERYARD
The Café Society Award
Sponsored by: lunch!
The final award is presented to a company that has been at the heart of café culture in Britain as far back as the 1920s. The family, who still run this business today, overcame internship and victimisation during the Second World War, and soon after established its Soho base.
The new café was state of the art for the late-40s and has retained many of its original features in becoming not only iconic in Soho but a beacon for café lovers the world over. Today this café can count celebrities from the stage and screen, sporting heroes and even Royalty among its clientele.
The winner of the Café Society Award is:
BAR ITALIA
For a full breakdown of each of the awards click here
About the Awards
- The Café Life Awards (formerly the Café Society Awards) aim to recognise excellence and encourage innovation in the important UK café and coffee bar sector.
- The Café Society is an organisation dedicated to promoting the development of the café environment in the UK and to encouraging high standards in all aspects of the business.
- The Café Society defines its market as including all operations which offer coffee (or tea) in an atmosphere and environment befitting today’s lifestyles.