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Revealed: The 2023 Hero & Icon Awards shortlists

Business leaders networking at the Peach 20/20 Conference  

Revealed: The 2023 Hero & Icon Awards shortlists

Shortlists revealed for the 2023 Hero & Icon Awards

Peach 20/20 is delighted to announce the shortlists for this year’s Hero & Icon Awards, the prestigious annual celebration of the very best brands, businesses and leaders in the eating and drinking-out market.

The winners will be revealed at the Hero & Icon Awards dinner following the Peach 20/20 Leaders’ Summit on Tuesday 14 November at the Roundhouse in London.

The 13 shortlists published today feature 104 nominations, representing the creativity, commitment and innovation driving the UK’s restaurant, pub, bar and café sector. They include no fewer than 67 different brands and businesses, eight individual venues and 18 industry leaders.

Companies with multiple nominations include Arc Inspirations, BrewDog, Caravan, Dishoom, F1 Arcade, Greene King, Hawksmoor, Inception, Loungers, Mission Mars, Nando’s, Pizza Pilgrims, Popeyes and Red Engine—and the leaders of many of these operators feature on the individual shortlists too.

Scroll down to see the full list...

THE 2023 SHORTLISTS ARE

Newcomer

BOX / Brightside / Buns From Home / Clays / F1 Arcade / Jacuzzi / Noci / Popeyes

 

Disruptor Brand

Banana Tree / BAO / Casa Do Frango / Flat Iron / Madre / Sushi Dog / Two Magpies Bakery / WatchHouse
 

Best Destination

Alberts Schloss, Birmingham / Alberts Schloss, Liverpool / Brightside, Exeter / Control Room B, Battersea / Dishoom, Canary Wharf / F1 Arcade, St Paul’s / Speedboat Bar, Soho / Turtle Bay, Hammersmith
 

Bar Business

Arc Inspirations / Inception / Incipio / Loungers / Mission Mars / Nightcap / The Alchemist / Vagabond
 

Pub Business

BrewDog / Brunning & Price / Greene King / Mitchells & Butlers / North Brewing Co / Peach Pubs / Urban Pubs & Bars / Young’s

Restaurant Business

Big Mamma / Caravan / Dishoom / Gail's / Hawksmoor / JKS Restaurants / Pizza Pilgrims / Rudy's
 

Alternative Business 

Arcade Food Hall / Boxpark / Electric Shuffle / F1 Arcade / Fairgame / Flight Club / Mercato Metropolitano / NQ64
 

International Brand

BrewDog / Flight Club / Hawksmoor / Marugame Udon / Popeyes / San Carlo / Tim Hortons / Wingstop

 

Sustainability Champion

Azzurri Group / Caravan / Gaucho and M Restaurants / Greene King / Hawksmoor / Nando’s / Pizza Pilgrims / Wahaca
 

Power Brand

Fuller’s / Greene King / JD Wetherspoon / Las Iguanas / Nando’s / Toby Carvery / Tortilla / Wagamama

Consumer Choice

Dishoom / Giggling Squid / Hawksmoor / Hickory's / Honest Burgers / Ivy Collection / Miller & Carter / Mowgli
 

NED or Chair

Mark Derry, Heartwood Collection / Karen Jones, Hawksmoor / Jane O’ Riordan, Caravan, Red Engine and Turtle Bay / Paul Pavli, Black Rock, Yummy Collection / Alex Reilley, Loungers / Robin Rowland, Mowgli, Pho, Rosa’s Thai and Thunderbird / Mike Tye, Big Table Group and Arc Inspirations
 

CEO / Leader

Will Beckett, Hawksmoor / Nick Collins, Loungers / Thom and James Elliott, Pizza Pilgrims / Roy Ellis, Mission Mars / Laura Harper-Hinton, Caravan / Marta Pogroszewska, Gail’s / Shamil and Kavi Thakrar, Dishoom / Mary Willcock, Brunning & Price
 

The shortlist for a further award - the Diversity Champion - will be announced at The Balance the Board conference on
October 5.

Eleven of the award categories were voted for by Peach 20/20’s community of senior industry executives, entrepreneurs and influencers – and a revamp of the nomination process this year resulted in more votes than ever being cast.

Our two consumer awards - Power Brand and Consumer Choice - are compiled from guest ratings measured by CGA by NIQ’s BrandTrack survey.

The awards evening on November 14 will be capped with the presentation of this year’s prestigious Peach 20/20 Icon Awards for leaders who have left a lasting mark on the restaurant, pub and bar sectors. The recipients will join a hall of fame of 28 other legends of the industry. There are no shortlists for these awards.

Peach 20/20 co-founder Peter Martin says: “Our shortlists are an inspiring blend of longstanding operators, fast-growing brands, dynamic start-ups, eye-catching venues and brilliant leaders. They should all be very proud of what they have achieved in 2023, and they inspire us all. It’s been another challenging year for hospitality, but you wouldn’t know it from the remarkable achievements of all these nominees. They show us that the future of our dynamic sector is very bright indeed. We salute all of them and look forward to crowning our winners on 14 November.”

Peach 20/20 Hero & Icon Awards Partners

Celebrating our 2022 winners

 

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The 2022 Hero & Icon Awards winners

Newcomer

Winner - Marugame Udon

Breakthrough Brand

Winner - Mr Fogg's

Reimagined Brand or Business

Winner - Gail's

Best Destination / New Opening

Winner - BrewDog, Waterloo

Most Admired Company or Brand

Winner - Hawksmoor

Best Major Business

Winner - Loungers

Entrepreneurial Company of the Year

Winner - Mission Mars 

International Business 

Winner - Ole & Steen

Sustainability Award

Winner - Wahaca

Industry Leader

Nisha Katona, Mowgli

Industry Ambassador Award

Winner - Alex Reilley, Loungers

Consumer Choice

Winner - Dishoom 

Power Brand

Winner - Nando’s

Drinks Experience

Winner - Revolution Bars

Diversity Champion

 Winner - Greene King

Special Award

Greg Mangham

 The Peach Icon Hall of Fame includes...

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  • Jane O’Riordan (Caravan, Red Engine & Turtle Bay)
     
  • Will Beckett (Hawksmoor)
     
  • Huw Gott (Hawksmoor)
     
  • Roy Ellis (Mission Mars)
     
  • Neil Macleod (Mission Mars) 
     
  • Tim Bacon (Living Ventures) 
     
  • John Barnes (La Tasca, Novus)
     
  • Andy Bassadone (Strada, Côte, Bill’s) 
     
  • Peter Boizot (Pizza Express) 
     
  • Rupert & Jo Clevely (Geronimo, Hippo)  
     
  • Tony Hughes (Whitbread, Mitchells & Butlers)
     
  • Gerry Ford (Caffè Nero) 

 

  • John Hutson (JD Wetherspoon)
     
  • Bob Ivell (Whitbread, Scottish & Newcastle, Mitchells & Butlers)
     
  • Alan Jackson (Whitbread, The Restaurant Group)
     
  • Karen Jones (Cafe Rouge, Spirit, Food & Fuel, Hawksmoor)  
     
  • Phillip Kaye (ASK, Zizzi)
     
  • Jeremy King (Corbin & King)
     
  • Simon Kossoff (Carluccio’s)
     
  • Tim Martin (JD Wetherspoon)
     
  • Julian Metcalfe (Pret a Manger)
     
  • James Horler (La Tasca, 360 Restaurants)
 
     
  • Chris Corbin (Corbin & King)
  • Thomasina Miers (Wahaca)
     
  • Ian Neill (Wagamama, Las Iguanas)
     
  • Kate Nicholls (UK Hospitality) 
     
  • David Page (Pizza Express, Fulham Shore) 
     
  • Ian Payne (Stonegate) 
     
  • Steve Richards (Novus, Casual Dining Group)  
     
  • Robin Rowland (YO! Sushi)
     
  • Mike Tye (Whitbread, Spirit) 
     
  • Danny Meyer (Union Square Hospitality)
     
  • Karen Forrester (TGI Friday’s)