CGA Peach has announced the winners of its 2015 Hero & Icon Awards, recognizing the achievements of 14 casual dining and pub brands and five individuals.
The 19 winners received their Hero & Icon Awards at a special dinner following CGA Peach’s 2020 Conference in London on Tuesday 17 November.
Icon Award recipients
The illustrious roll call of winners includes three Icon Award recipients, honoured for their achievements over long careers in the industry. James Horler has worked his way up from a kitchen porter to the very top of the industry, building operations including Frankie & Benny’s, La Tasca, 3Sixty Restaurants and more. Simon Kossoff’s distinguished CV has included building Carluccio’s into one of casual dining’s most successful premium brands—not to mention TV stardom on the ‘Undercover Boss’ show. And as boss at Costa Coffee, Premier Inn, David Lloyd and most recently Spirit Pub Company at various times, Mike Tye has been instrumental in the growth of some of the biggest brands in the business.
Two other individuals receive awards. Jonathan Downey is the recipient of the Special Award for his transformation of the image and professionalism of street food via the Street Feast and London Union concepts, while Alex Reilley of Loungers wins the Industry Leader of the Year award.
Brand winners
Among brands, winners include both long-established operators and acclaimed new concepts. Among the former, PizzaExpress receives the Power Brand award in the year of its 50th anniversary, while Pizza Hut takes the Family Destination category and Fuller’s is named Best Company with more than 50 sites. Among younger brands, Pizza Pilgrims receives the Newcomer award, Burger & Lobster the Best Concept award, and Dishoom the Best Destination Opening prize for its King’s Cross launch.
Four brands made it a standout night for US-style concepts. Red’s True Barbecue is Most Admired Brand, while Ed’s Easy Diner receives the Brand XP Award. The Restaurant Group’s Coast to Coast concept wins the Breakthrough Brand award and US import Five Guys the Best Quality Brand prize.
The four remaining awards all go to rapidly expanding brands. Côte picks up the Consumer Choice award and Wagamama the Evolutionary Brand prize. Leon is Best Company with fewer than 50 sites and Revolución de Cuba receives the award for Best Drinks Offer.
The very best of the eating and drinking out sectors
CGA Peach vice president Peter Martin says: “We are thrilled to honour these 14 outstanding brands and five exceptional individuals. Energetic, passionate, innovative and supremely professional, they showcase the very best of the eating and drinking out sectors. Despite ongoing challenges 2015 has been another excellent year for our industry, and we have all had much to celebrate and be proud of at our Hero & Icon Awards and 2020 Conference. These brands and individuals will be the ones to lead and inspire us into 2016 and beyond, and we salute them all.”
CGA Peach’s 15 Hero Awards are in two sections: nine Industry Hero Awards voted for by senior executives in the sector, and six Consumer Hero Awards chosen by the British public via CGA Peach’s quarterly BrandTrack survey.
- ICON AWARD James Horler
- ICON AWARD Simon Kossoff
- ICON AWARD Mike Tye
- NEWCOMER Presented by CPL Online Pizza Pilgrims
- BREAKTHROUGH BRAND Presented by Bookatable Coast to Coast
- EVOLUTIONARY BRAND Presented by Velocity Wagamama
- BEST DESTINATION OPENING Presented by Reynolds Dishoom (King’s Cross)
- MOST ADMIRED BRAND Presented by Fourth Red’s True Barbecue
- BEST CONCEPT Presented by Crown Cellars Burger & Lobster
- BEST COMPANY (SUB 50 SITES) Presented by RSM Leon
- BEST COMPANY (50 SITES PLUS) Presented by Zonal Fuller’s
- INDUSTRY LEADERPresented by Coffer Corporate Leisure Alex Reilley, Loungers
- CONSUMER CHOICE Presented by Coca-Cola Enterprises Côte
- FAMILY DESTINATION Presented by Casual Dining Show Pizza Hut
- BEST QUALITY BRAND Presented by CGA Peach Five Guys
- BEST DRINKS OFFER Presented by Diageo Revolución de Cuba
- BRAND XP AWARD Presented by InMoment Ed’s Easy Diner
- POWER BRAND Presented by NatWest PizzaExpress
- SPECIAL AWARD Jonathan Downey
CGA Peach’s Hero & Icon Awards and 2020 Conference are supported by headline partners Bookatable, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coffer Corporate Leisure, CPL Online, Crown Cellars, Diageo, Fourth, InMoment, NatWest, Velocity and Zonal; and by event partners Action Against Hunger, Casual Dining Show, Fishbowl, Miller Brands, Reynolds, RSM, Steelite and Travers Smith.
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