Flavour awards delight for Downey

It was double delight for Jonathan Downey, managing director of the Match group, at the 2005 Flavour magazine awards last night.

In the main award of the evening Kevin Armstrong from Match's Sosho bar in London was named Bartender of the Year.

A team of judges from Flavour, which is the sister magazine to The Publican, picked out nine of the top bartenders from across the UK as finalists for the award, sponsored by premium vodka brand Wyborowa. In the end Kevin's solid performance across all categories saw him through.

And in Match's second success of the night Trailer Happiness in Notting Hill was named Cocktail Bar of the Year.

Other significant wins at the awards, held at the Savoy Hotel in London, were for the Be At One bar in Battersea, London, which was voted best classic bar and Henry Besant from the Lonsdale in Notting Hill, who won Bar Manager of the Year.

The big retail winners were Eric Yu's Breakfast Group, named Bar Operator of the Year and the Living Room, voted Retail Brand of the Year.

Full list of winners​

• Venue Design 2005​
  Sponsored by Bottlegreen Drinks Co​
  Winner:​ Three, Bristol

Customer Service Bar 2005​
Sponsored by Squeeze Event Mixology​
Winner:​ Salty Dog, Glasgow

Retail Brand 2005​
Sponsored by Coca-Cola Enterprises​
Winner:​ Living Room, London

Bar Operator 2005​
Sponsored by Leffe​
Winner:​ The Breakfast Group, London

Bar Manager 2005​
Sponsored by Luxardo & Jägermeister​
Winner:​ Henry Besant, Lonsdale, Notting Hill

Cocktail Bar 2005​
Sponsored by Appleton Jamaica Rum​
Winner:​ Trailer Happiness, Notting Hill, London

New Bar 2005​
Sponsored by Kirin Ichiban​
Winner:​ Dusk, Battersea

Classic Bar 2005​
Sponsored by Imperial Tobacco​
Winner:​ Be At One, Battersea, London

Bartender of the Year 2005​
Sponsored by Wyborowa​
Winner:​ Kevin Armstrong, Sosho, London