The Staff Canteen Awards 2026: nominations are open
Nominations are now open for The Staff Canteen Awards 2026, and once again it is you, our members and followers, who decide who takes home a gold mug.
Now in its seventh year, the TSC Awards will see eight new winners crowned across eight categories, including a brand new one for 2026 in Gastropub of the Year.
The mugs, along with a host of other goodies, will be handed out at the awards ceremony on Monday, November 16, 2026 at 83 Rivington Street in Shoreditch, London, in front of previous winners and VIP guests. It is a new home for the awards after two years at Scotland House.
Last year saw more than 300 nominations come in across the eight categories, with more than 52,000 votes cast by members and followers.
Nominations close on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, so you have two weeks to get your names in.
**(Note - each candidate only needs to be nominated once)**
The categories for 2026
Chef of the Year, sponsored by Chef Works
For the chef who has stood out over the past 12 months, whether that is through the food on the plate, the team they have built or the way they have moved their kitchen forward.
One to Watch, sponsored by Lightspeed
The name you think everyone will be talking about next year. This one is not just for chefs. Front of house is every bit as eligible, so if the person who has caught your eye is running a section, a bar or a floor, put them forward.
Member of the Year
The member who gives the most back to The Staff Canteen community, sharing their work, supporting others and getting stuck into the conversation (chosen from our past 12 Member of the Month winners).
Kitchen Porter of the Year, sponsored by Winterhalter
The person holding the whole section together. One of the most popular categories we run, and rightly so.
Social Media Influencer of the Year, sponsored by ASMI
For the person using their platform to show what hospitality really looks like, whether that is 10,000 followers or a million.
Front of House Team of the Year, sponsored by SevenRooms
The team that makes the room. Service, warmth, knowledge and the ability to make every table feel looked after.
Sustainable Business of the Year, sponsored by Globaltic
For the business putting real work into sourcing, waste, energy and the wider impact of how it operates, not just talking about it.
Gastropub of the Year
New for 2026. A category dedicated to the pubs cooking some of the best food in the country, and doing it while still being a pub.
(Note – nominations are not open for KP of Member of the Year, as they operate under different voting criteria.)
The partners
Sparkle Lighting joins as event partner for 2026 and will be dressing the room at 83 Rivington Street.
Nyetimber, Petrossian Caviar and Pillars Brewery are the food and drinks partners for the evening.
Shining a light on hospitality
Mark Morris, founder of The Staff Canteen, said: "We are very much looking forward to doing what we love most again this year, and that is celebrating the people who make this industry what it is. Our members show us every single year that there are amazing things happening in kitchens, restaurants and pubs up and down the country, and the awards are our chance to shine a light on them.
"We have also added a new category for 2026 in Gastropub of the Year, which felt long overdue given the standard of food coming out of pubs at the moment. We can't wait to see who you feel deserves to be shortlisted across our categories, and to be handing out some more gold mugs in November."
How to nominate
Nominations are open from Tuesday, September 22, 2026 and close on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 (5pm). You can nominate in as many categories as you like, and you can nominate yourself, a colleague, a team or a business. Each candidate only needs to be nominated once.
Once nominations close, voting will then open to decide the winners.
Previous winners
The Staff Canteen Awards hall of fame includes Tom Aikens, Tom Shepherd, Paul Foster, Gareth Ward, Roy Brett, Dean Edwards and Poppy O'Toole.
The 2025 winners were Tim De La Cruz of Smiths of Smithfield (Chef of the Year), Craig Nelson of Ox and Finch in Glasgow (One to Watch), Kieran Irvin of The Angel of Corbridge (Member of the Year), Emily Eeles of The Gaff in Abergavenny (Kitchen Porter of the Year), Danilo Cortellini (Social Media Influencer of the Year), Tom Ford and the team at Manifest in Liverpool (Front of House Team of the Year), The Cottage in the Wood in Keswick (Sustainable Business of the Year) and Mecca Ibrahim of Women in the Food Industry (Hospitality Hero).
Who deserves a gold mug this year? Get your nominations in here and let us know in the comments who you have put forward and why.
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The Staff Canteen Awards 2026: nominations are open
