Ashley Shaw, 32, house manager at London’s Westbury Hotel, Mayfair, has been announced as the winner of the Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) Dalmore Award for Excellence 2011.
The award, sponsored by Whyte & Mackay, was presented yesterday [18 October] at the Academy Annual Awards 2011 held at London’s Butcher’s Hall. The Dalmore Award is given to an outstanding personality in the UK hotel and catering industry.
Presenting the award, AFWS president Roy Ackerman said: “Not only is Ashley an inspiration within his hotel, dedicating time to training and supporting the whole operation, but he is also involved with many colleges, assisting students in the pursuit of hospitality careers. His passion and commitment in everything he does makes him the deserved recipient.”
Ashley has been house manager at the Westbury for two years, previously working in F&B at the hotel. He trained at Stratford College before taking up an apprenticeship at Claridge’s. “I’m ecstatic to win this award,” he said, “I’m totally taken aback.”
Other Academy Annual Award winners were:
L’Academie de Lanson Taste Award
Anna Mayr, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – Royal Hospital Road, London
Company of the Year Award 2011
D&D London
The Virgin Rising Star Award
William Harper, Malmaison Liverpool
The Worshipful Company of Innholders and Maison Louis Jadot Sommelier Award
Ashraf Saleh, Galvin at Windows, London
The Savoy Educational Trust Phillip Thornton Award
Max Butterfield, Babylon Restaurant at the Roof Gardens, London
The New Zealand Winegrowers Award
James Myers, Northcote, Lancashire
Ramos Pinto Travel Award
Antoine Dugand, Le Pont de la Tour, London
BII Pub Wine List of the Year Award
Battlesteads, Northumberland.
Tony Potter, CEO and MD of CHI Hotels & Resorts, and Kellie Rixon, MD of the De Vere Academy were granted honorary fellowships of the Academy for their support of craft skills training and their encouragement of young people in the industry.
AFWS chairman Nick Scade used the occasion to remind the industry audience of the momentous year the Academy has had with the announcement of a strategic partnership with the BII, its involvement with the BBC2 TV series Michel Roux’s Service and the official launch of its Licence to Work in Hospitality Service qualification.
Scade also announced that Hilton Worldwide, through its 80 UK and Ireland hotels, has become the first to gain ACE™ accreditation in the Academy’s new Centre of Training Excellence scheme. Hilton has achieved the highest level of accreditation, the gold standard.
“Hilton’s accreditation will be closely followed by that of the De Vere Academy. We hope this exciting new initiative will lead to all the other major hotel, restaurant and pub groups following suit, signalling the importance they place on providing a high standard of training for front-of-house staff,” he said.
Pic caption: Ashley Shaw receives his award from the Academy patron Lord Thurso MP, Kai Reeves of Whyte & Mackay and AFWS president Roy Ackerman.
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Editor’s notes
The Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS) established in 1988, is the professional body for front-of-house service. It is dedicated to improving the status and awareness of food and beverage service as a viable career choice, raising standards across the industry, and encouraging teamwork to foster good relations with other industry sectors. The Academy can offer advice and training to anyone following, or considering, a career as a sommelier, wine waiter, waiter, bar manager or restaurant manager.
The Academy runs a series of high profile awards such as UK Sommelier of the Year and UK Restaurant Manager of the Year and this year was closely involved in the making of the BBC2 programme Michel Roux’s Service. www.afws.co.uk.
