Nigel Haworth from Michelin-starred Northcote wins The Special Award in the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2017.

The great and the good of the hospitality industry came together once again for the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2017 and joining the hall of fame was Nigel Haworth as he was awarded the coveted Special Award. The Special Award, has previously been awarded to top chefs including Heston Blumenthal, Marco Pierre White and last year it went to two-Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains.

On winning the award he said: "The Craft Guild of Chefs is a very special organisation and I feel very honoured and humbled. I always say there are so many chefs who cook well and do a great job and if you're one of those who gets recognised then you are very fortunate."

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He added: "It's always that bit sweeter when you are amongst your peers and it's a recognition of working among fellow chefs and they think you've achieved some milestones in your cooking and your career."

There were not only established chefs who are at the top of their game in the room, there were many up and coming, exciting new chefs and Nigel hopes they were inspired.

"From humble beginnings, you can reach out and you can move, and you should never lose that belief that you can get there," he explained. "It can be a long and industrious journey but if the beliefs there you'll get there in the end. 

"Creating food must be one of the most rewarding careers ever and you have to be creative, innovative and business like now to be successful as a chef."

Hosted by Craft Guild of Chefs vice presidents,  Steve Munkley and David Mulcahy, at the Westminster Park Plaza on Thursday, June 1, 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 Award           

Tom Hamblet - South Lodge Hotel           

Armed Services Chef Award        

Cpl Ian Marks - Royal Air Force                                 

Banqueting and Event Chef Award           

Karen Poynter - Chester Boyd           

Chef Lecturer Award

Mathew Shropshall - UBC College of Food

Competition Chef Award     

Simon Webb - Culinary Olympics           

Contract Catering Chef Award        

Glynn Lawrence - Sodexo Prestige                   

Development Chef Award

Glenn Evans - Las Iguanas                    

Ethnic Chef Award

Tong Chee Hwee - Hakkasan Group           

Innovation Award

The Clink Restaurants

New Restaurant of the Year Award

Vineet Bhatia - Vineet Bhatia London

Pastry Chef Award

Emmanuel Bonneau - Hilton Worldwide                                                        

People’s Choice Award

Harry Lomas BEM MBE - The Grove, Watford

Pub Chef Award

Gordon Stott - The Sun Inn               

Public Sector Chef Award

Jamie Gibbs - ESS Defence                  

Restaurant Chef Award        

Daniel Smith - The Ingham Swan                     

Young Chef Award          

Ben Garnett-Sinclair - Lusso

>>> More on the Craft Guild of Chefs here