Staff from hotels, restaurants and hospitality venues across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have been celebrated at the fifth annual BH Area Hospitality Association (BAHA) Recognition Awards.
The event, held at the Hilton Bournemouth, highlighted the individuals whose hard work and commitment often go unseen, with organisers calling on residents to support the new “check in and chill out” campaign promoting the area’s hospitality industry.
BAHA Chair Roise Radwell said this year saw the strongest field of nominations yet. She said: “We have had the fiercest competition ever this year; the awards just get bigger and better. Our industry has had a tough year with some bad press, but we are fighting back and changing the narrative.”
Darren Seward, agent and partner at NFU Mutual’s New Forest, Isle of Wight and Bournemouth agency – the sole sponsor of the awards – said the firm was proud to continue its support. He added that the awards highlight the “commitment, hard work and success” of those working in hospitality across the area.
The evening, hosted by Andy Brennan, included a drinks reception, live music and opportunities for networking, bringing together teams from hotels, colleges, and hospitality businesses across Dorset. See more details and photos here.
Full list of winners:
- Bournemouth University Hospitality Student of the Year – Winner: Rahul Bansal | Runners-up: Eloise Pavlou & Raani Surra Man
- Bournemouth & Poole College Hospitality Student of the Year – Winner: Sophie Holland | Runners-up: Finley Warner & Joshua Castle
- Receptionist of the Year – Winner: Benedetta Mulas | Runners-up: Mark Cadey & Michael Shoesmith
- Room Attendant or Linen Porter of the Year – Winner: Neil Phillips | Runners-up: Anna Michalczuk & Bashir Hedayat
- Waiter or Waitress of the Year – Winner: Katie Cheng | Runners-up: Robin Besoya & Swee Yin Lim
- Kitchen Porter of the Year – Winner: Bras Da Silva Morgado | Runners-up: Andrezej Lagiewska & Dylan Bowley
- Bar Person of the Year – Winner: Kate Segon | Runners-up: Daniel Sharma & Rahul Besoya
- HR, Administration or Accounts Person of the Year – Winner: Kimmie Dugmore | Runners-up: Lauren Ferrari & Weronika Pawlicka
- Breakfast Chef, Chef de Partie or Commis Chef of the Year – Winner: Alan Wenman | Runners-up: Ignacio Lavie & Maria Maiza Cazia
- Leisure & Spa Person of the Year – Winner: Gustavo Monteiro Severino | Runner-up: Vanessa Paine
- Housekeeper Supervisor of the Year – Winner: Marta Janowska | Runners-up: Paulina Maria De Sousa Barbosa & Sylwia Aleksinska
- Maintenance Person of the Year – Winner: James Wilkins | Runners-up: Derek Hayward & Pawell Piros
- Night Staff of the Year – Winner: Marek Gorecki | Runners-up: Anshul Ansul & Sergio Syriopoulas
- Sales Manager of the Year – Winner: Brian Robbins | Runners-up: Ben Pilling & Martine Williams
- Restaurant or Food & Beverage Manager of the Year – Winner: Luke Williamson | Runners-up: Razvan Bolozan & Sylwia Skalba
- Head Chef or Sous Chef of the Year – Winner: Ian Kelly | Runners-up: Louie Cruz & Shaun Le Clercq
- Events Manager of the Year – Winner: Dipty Rana | Runners-up: Courtney Lilley & Emily Chadwick
- Reservations & Revenue Person of the Year – Winner: Rachel Mould | Runners-up: Bettina Laszlo & Larissa Sucher
- Assistant or Duty Manager of the Year – Winner: Shirley Froud | Runners-up: Argha Bose & Greg Przydatek
- Deputy or Operations Manager of the Year – Winner: Camden Ferrara | Runners-up: Rui Teles & Sergio Calderia Silva
- Career Progression (in partnership with Coastal BID) – Winner: Jess Goodwin | Runners-up: Noelia Postigo & Scott Nickels
- Exceptional Customer Service – Winner: Harry Cole | Runners-up: Iva Velinova & Rachael Macklin
- Future of Hospitality – Winner: Chantelle Lewis | Runners-up: Azhar Baig & Jithin Shaji
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