Searcys, the iconic collection of restaurants, bars and venues, honoured staff across its portfolio at the inaugural Searcys Awards held at Inner Temple, London last night. The event marked the outstanding achievements of Searcys employees, and highlighted the dedication, care and compassion they show every day in the workplace.
The nominations for the seven ‘Searcys Values Awards’ were submitted by Searcys employees and staff from the company’s venue portfolio. From a shortlist of three per category, the executive team picked the eventual winners. The Values Awards cover Searcys’ core pillars of Passion (rising star), Excellence (best team), Accountability (best support person), Energy (best guest feedback), Originality (best support Chef), Execution (best Manager) and Curiosity (best innovator).
Other awards chosen directly by the Searcys executive team included Chef of the Year, Venue of the Year and the Spirit of Searcy’s award.
Richard Callaghan, Head of HR at Searcys commented; “Searcys is proud to recognise the contribution that our staff make to our organisation and the impact they have on delivering the highest quality hospitality and catering to our clients and their guests. Quality, innovation and service are at the heart of our ethos and offering, and last night’s winners lead the way when it comes to maintaining those across our work. It isn’t, however, just the winners, but all of our staff show meticulous attention to detail and a passion for what they do and last night was an opportunity to thank everyone and show our ongoing commitment to supporting their growth and career development.”
The deserving award winners, who collected the accolades at a gala dinner were:
- Passion (rising star) – Cristina Palamar: Kenwood House
- Excellence (best team) – 30 Euston Square: Sales Team (pictured above)
- Accountability (best support person) – Francesco Arlotta: Barbican
- Energy (best guest feedback) – Mimi Tudor: Champagne Bars
- Originality (best support chef) – Louise Schofield: The Balcony
- Execution (best Manager) – Greg Hillier (Head Chef): British Academy
- Curiosity (best innovator) – Stefani Goodrem (Sales & Marketing Manager): Inner Temple & Kayleigh Tindalid (Marketing Manager): Pump Rooms and Roman Bath Kitchen
- Venue of the Year – 30 Euston Square
- Chef of the Year – Barry Tonks: Searcys at The Gherkin & Paul Smith: Allen & Overy
- Spirit of Searcys – Marta Makarczuk: Searcys at The Gherkin
30 Euston Square’s General Manager Yvette Chatwin said: “My team are absolutely amazing; I am extremely proud of them all and what they have achieved this year. I’m delighted that their efforts have been recognised in the very first Searcys Value Awards ceremony. We are all thrilled and overwhelmed to have won this award as well as the Excellence Award.”
Marta Makarczuk of Searcys at the Gherkin, who won the ‘Spirit of Searcys’ award for her continuous willpower and high standards while delivering a seamless service, said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured that my work has been recognised in this way – I am so happy to receive this award.”
Head Chef Barry Tonks from Searcys at the Gherkin, who scooped ‘Chef of the Year’, said: “I am thrilled to win this award, reflecting both the restaurant and event menu on offer at Searcys at The Gherkin. We are so passionate about delivering exceptional food quality and consistency; my team and I are delighted this has been recognised and encouraged as part of the awards.”
