Chester Hospitality People Awards Finalists for 2025 are revealed!
There are 14 categories this year
The Chester Hospitality Association is excited to reveal the finalists for the People Awards for 2025.
The awards, in association with Chester Race Company, Horseradish and Saffron Vanilla are a chance to celebrate the talented individuals at the heart of Chester’s bustling hospitality industry. The event is a chance to shine a light on and honour the unsung heroes who demonstrate passion, dedication and commitment in our vibrant hospitality industry.
Steven Hesketh, Chair of Chester Hospitality Association said: "This is the third year for these awards and once again we have seen some fantastic nominations which our independent panel of judges have found to be very inspirational, with an extremely high standard demonstrated. The People Awards give us a chance to highlight exceptional individuals and teams who fuel our industry. This year's shortlist features over 65 finalists which is testament to our thriving hospitality sector. The awards also support two fantastic charities, Hospitality Action and Share Chester, and we aim to raise in excess of £10,000 for good causes through the event.
There are 14 categories this year including Rising Star, Unsung Hero, Front and Heart of House Awards, Chef of the Year and Top Team to name a few. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on Thursday 26th June 2025 at Chester Racecourse.
Rupert Worden, Group Catering Director at Chester Race Company said: "We are delighted to host the 2025 Chester Hospitality Awards once again. This is an amazing community occasion to celebrate and promote hospitality right across Chester, recognising the talented and passionate individuals who deliver excellence in the sector."
Stephen Ramsden Director Saffron Vanilla commented "Saffron Vanilla are delighted to be supporting the Chester Hospitality Awards for a second year, and we have had so many high calibre entries, they all truly made the judges job very difficult to choose a shortlist. It is very encouraging to see the future of the Hospitality industry in the region at such a professional level. Congratulations to all the finalists.
The full list of finalists is:
Barista of the Year Award
Becky Hesketh, Townhouse Chester
Connor Brown, Chester Pride
Vladyslav Kostash, High Coffee Bar
Excellence in Bar Service Award
Ash Scott, Liquor and co
David Curtis, The Chester Grosvenor
Ella Powell, Shrub
Rhodri Hales, The Cabinet Club at Liquor & Co
Sam Rushforth, Barlounge Ltd
Excellence in Food Service Award
Camie Robert, The Forge Chester
Carys Shaw, Restaurant 209
Jay Mountain, Barlounge Ltd
Sajad Cheraghi, CHIP'D
Simon Van Niekerk, Chester Cathedral
Thomas Crowe, The Forge Chester
Front of House Award
Eliza Boardman, The Queen at Chester Hotel
Jake Venables, iKO Projects
Layla Flewitt, Salt House Chester
Maxine Mitchell, Rowton Hall Hotel Ltd
Rory Lewis, The Goshawk
Heart of House Award
Anna Welsh, Shrub
Gemma Turver, The Goshawk
Jason Williams, Rowton Hall Hotel Ltd
Jessica Ridings, The Queen at Chester
Laura Evans, Townhouse Chester
Sue Morton, Carden Park Hotel & Spa
Manager of the Year Award
Emma Gouldson, Salt House Chester
Iulian Ion, Carden Park Hotel & Spa
Kerry Smith, Moxy Chester
Liam Doherty, Liquor and Co
Sean Lane, The Forge Restaurant
Tyler Beaumont, iKO
Rising Star Award
Alana McHugh, Popcorn Bar Chester
Caitlin Hoban, The Queen at Chester Hotel
Dani Clare, Salt House Chester
Hannah Edgar ,The Goshawk
Max Gordon, Rooftop Social Club
Olivia Davies, Restaurant 209
Olivia Groves, Upstairs at the Grill
Rita Adeyina Obeng, Townhouse Chester
Sales and Revenue Star
Jules Robinson, Townhouse Chester
Katie Fearnehough, The Queen at Chester
Liberty Mitchell, Rooftop Social Club
Top Team Award
Academy West Tutors & Support Staff
Venue Sales Team, Chester Zoo
Commonhall St. Social
Craft & Company
Joe, Jim & The Fat Greek team
Rowton Hall Hotel & Spa Team
Team Artezzan
The Arkle
Unsung Hero Award
Emma Page-Hibbs, Chester Cathedral
Hannah Vickers, Upstairs at the Grill
Mica Reid, Northgates Bar
Chef of the Year
Dilwyn Jones, Townhouse Chester
Felix Shore, Restaurant 209
Joseph Williams, Artezzan Restaurant & Bar
Ryan Cutler, Upstairs at the Grill
Shaun Gill, The Forge Chester
Tom Bennett, Rowton Hall Hotel Ltd
Wayne Lucas, Opera Grill
Head Chef of the Year
Allan Davies, The Queen at Chester
Carl Noller, The Yard Restaurant Chester
Dan Regan, The Forge Chester
Elliot Hill, The Chester Grosvenor
Graham Tinsley, Carden Park Hotel & Spa
Matt Jencitis, Rowton Hall Hotel Ltd
There is no shortlist for the Judges' Choice Award, or the Chester Hospitality Chairman's Award, winners of both awards will be announced at the awards ceremony.
The awards for 2025 are supported by Chester Race Company, Horseradish, Saffron Vanilla, Hospitality Hero, Chester BID, Marketing Cheshire, Chester Ghost Tours, The Northern Guide, Wrexham Lager, Chance Cider, RW Photography, Vivid Floral Design, CSP Audio Visual and Cool Breeze Agency.