In the spotlight: Rajiv KC of Rajiv’s Kitchen is up for the South Asian Food award
(Picture: Press handout )The finalists have been announced for the inaugural BIH Spotlight Awards — and London leads the way with 31 nominations across 13 categories.
The new accolades, organised by Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH), are the first-ever awards to actively champion diverse talent across all areas of the hospitality industry, from restaurants, bars and pubs to individual cuisine categories, head office operations and food delivery services.
Be Inclusive Hospitality is the brainchild of Lorraine Copes, whose 20-year career in hospitality includes stints working for Corbin & King and Gordon Ramsay. Copes founded the not-for-profit organisation in 2020 to improve racial equity within hospitality, food and drink by providing visibility for black, Asian and ethnic minority talent.
“We’ve received an outstanding response to the first-ever BIH Spotlight Awards,” Copes says. “It has been moving to read the stories of resilience, passion and community in some of the nominations received.”
Heading the nominations in the Chef of the Year category is Keshia Sakarah of Caribe’ restaurant and Baruru supperclub. Sakarah founded Caribe’ in Brixton in 2018 in response to the under-representation of Caribbean food culture on the UK restaurant scene. The monthly Baruru supperclub offers a more immersive experience of the islands’ food heritage, with each course highlighting a different aspect of Caribbean history or culture.
Other pioneering names shortlisted include curry-puff queen Sandra Leong of Old Chang Kee in the East and South East Asian Food category, Clement Ogbonnaya, the landlord of the Prince of Peckham, for Bar/Pub of the Year, and Philip Juma of Juma Kitchen, the Iraqi food specialist in Borough Market, in the Middle East Food category.
The judging panel for the awards is co-chaired by celebrity chef Andi Oliver and Des Gunewardena, CEO and chairman of restaurant group D&D London. Said Oliver of the finalists: “We’re showcasing a veritable tidal wave of talent from right across our nation
“It’s a wonderful testament to the beauty of Britain’s multicultural culinary landscape.”
More than 400 public nominations were received for businesses and individuals from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds working within the UK hospitality industry. Nominations are closed for 11 of the 13 award categories but remain open until October 2 for the Peoples’ Choice Person of the Year and the Peoples’ Choice Restaurant of the Year, and can be voted for on the BIH website. All the winners of the BIH Spotlight Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony on the evening of Monday October 24 at Percy’s bar in Kensington.
The London finalists are below:
Chef of the Year
- Keshia Sakarah, Caribe’ and Baruru supperclub
African Food
- Akwasi Brenya-Mensa, Tatale
- Lawrence Gomez, Papa L’s Kitchen
- Jess and Jo Odun, The Flygerians
Caribbean Food
- Delroy Dixon, Rhythm Kitchen
- Lara Luck, Food by Lara Luck
- Maureen Tyne, Maureen’s Brixton Kitchen
East and South East Asian Food
- Mark Corbyn, The Adobros
- Sandra Leong, Old Chang Kee UK
- John Li, The Dumpling Shack Group
- Ferdinand Montoya, Sarap
South Asian Food
- Dom Fernando, Paradise Soho
- Rajiv KC, Rajiv’s Kitchen
- Mohini Samani, Mumbai Mix
Middle Eastern Food
- Tariq Al Khaldi, BEYRoots
- Café Palestina
- Philip Juma, Juma Kitchen
Bar/Pub of the Year
- Lucy Do, The Dodo Micropub
- Erika Haigh, Moto
- Clement Ogbonnaya, Prince of Peckham
Drinks Professional of the Year
- Imie Augier, Soda and Friends
- Nina Dornoo-Dornor, Cocktail Mania
- Rod Eslamieh, Chapter 72
- Deano Moncrieffe, Hacha Bar
Head Office Impact
- Afees Bello, Wolseley Hospitality Group
- Raj Markandoo, Bubala
- Tasneem Sharrem, Fat Macy’s
Rising Star
- Kyra Elton, East London Liquor Company and Happiness Forgets
- Shiqi Liu, Ustick!
- Anoushica Matthews, Sweet Spice Wines
- Reuben Nehikhare, The Parlor
