Sat Bains wins The Special Award and Chiltern Firehouse wins Best New Restaurant in last night’s Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2016.

Hosted by vice presidents Steve Munkley and David Mulcahy at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel, Billy Campbell, executive chef at Thistle Glasgow Hotel, was also voted the People’s Choice after a closely fought contest which saw almost 1,500 votes flood in online.

Nuno Mendes’ Chiltern Firehouse won Best New Restaurant with competition coming from Jason Atherton’s City Social, Kenny Atkinson’s House of Tides and Lee Westcott’s Typing Room.

The Special Award, has previously been awarded to top chefs including Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre White, but last night went to two-Michelin starred chef Sat Bains who opened his eponymous restaurant in Nottingham in 2002 to great acclaim and has since been heralded as one of Britain’s most celebrated chefs.

A further 14 awards were handed out, including the Guild’s new Concept and Innovation Chef Award, which recognised industry trendsetters who are bringing food, fashion and style to the fore. This category had three shortlisted venues (Bodeans, STK London and TED – Think, Eat, Drink) which were voted for on the evening with the winner being STK London.

The Craft Guild of Chefs Awards acknowledge a host of leading lights across the industry, whether they work in a pub, fine dining restaurant, city university, military unit or in contract catering, and even as development chefs for national retailers.

The full list of winners:

Apprentice Chef

Ben Garnett-Sinclair, apprentice chef at Lusso (sponsored by Compass Group)

Armed Service Chef

Amrit Limbu, junior chef at 10th Brigade, Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (sponsored by Purple Foodservice Solutions)

Banqueting/Event Chef

Mark Reynolds, executive head chef at Delaware North (sponsored by Santa Maria)

Chef Lecturer

Gary MacLean, chef lecturer at City of Glasgow College (sponsored by Food Matters Live)

Competition Chef

Adam Bennett, chef director at The Cross, Kenilworth (sponsored by C&C Catering Equipment)

Contract Catering Chef

Mark Cheetham, executive chef, Sodexo UK (sponsored by Kerry Foods)

Craft Guild’s Concept & Innovation Chef Award

STK London (sponsored by Jestic Foodservice Equipment)

Development Chef

Antony Bennett, head of food development, La Tasca Restaurant Group (sponsored by McCain Foods)

Ethnic Chef

Stephen Gomes, chef/patron at Moksh (sponsored by Nayati)

New Restaurant of the Year

Nuno Mendes, Chiltern Firehouse (sponsored by Jelf Insurance)

Pastry Chef

Daniel Pearse, head pastry chef at Hakkasan (sponsored by Carpigiani UK)

People’s Choice

Billy Campbell, executive chef at Thistle Glasgow Hotel (sponsored by Nisbets)

Pub Restaurant Chef

Ray Brenner, head chef at The Peach Pub Company (sponsored by Bidvest 3663)

Public Sector Chef

Rob Bean, executive head chef at University of Leicester (sponsored by Theos Food Company)

Restaurant Chef Adam Smith,

head chef at Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel (sponsored by Gram UK)

Young Chef

Craig Bateman, chef at Compass Group UK & Ireland (sponsored by Falcon Williams)

Special Award

Sat Bains, Sat Bains with Rooms (sponsored by Sodexo)