The Village People win at BIH Spotlight Awards

The pub group, run by Clement Ogbonnaya and includes the Prince of Peckham, in Peckham and Queen of the South, in Tulse Hill, took home the title at a sold out awards ceremony at M Threadneedle Street, London.

The evening, presented by chef and restaurateur Shelina Permalloo, was a celebration of exceptional businesses and individuals from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds in the hospitality industry. 

The BIH Spotlight Awards celebrated winners from 15 categories including Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Drinks Professional of the Year plus best in Caribbean Food, African Food, South Asian Food, East & Southeast Asian Food, Middle Eastern Food, Writer of the Year, Head Office Impact, Bar or Pub of the Year, Brand of the Year, Rising Star plus two Peoples’ Choice Awards for Person of the Year and Restaurant of the Year, which were chosen by the public. 

This year’s judging panel played host to some of the hospitality industry’s most influential figures, including culinary director of Rare Restaurants, Mike Reid and chief executive of Umbrella Training, Adele C.Oxberry.  

Founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, Lorraine Copes, added: “Last night marked an extraordinary celebration of outstanding talent in the hospitality industry. The ambience was unparalleled, and I express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who contributed to this event. 

“Whether it was our esteemed judging panel, our sponsors, and the hospitality community who nominated their favourites. It was a privilege to be surrounded by so many passionate and dedicated individuals, and I offer my hearty congratulations to all our deserving winners.”

The winners in full were:

Chef of the Year ​

• Ahmed Abdalla, Head Chef, Legacy at The Grand - York

Pastry Chef of the Year​ 

• Ryan Panchoo, Owner of Borough 22 Doughnuts - London 

Drinks Professional of the Year​

• Jeri Kimber-Ndiaye, Head Sommelier at The NoMad Hotel - London 

Caribbean Food ​

• Liam Barker, Chef & Educator - London 

African Food​

• The Flygerians - London 

South Asian Food ​

• Manju Patel, Head Chef at Manju's - Brighton 

East & Southeast Asian Food ​

• Amy Poon, Founder of Poon's London & Poon's Wontoneria

Middle Eastern Food​

• Modern Persian Kitchen, Co-Founder of Modern Persian Kitchen - Durham 

Writer of the Year ​

• Jimi Famurewa

Head Office Impact​ 

• Olajide Alabi, Equality, Inclusion and Wellbeing Partner at Turtle Bay Hospitality

Bar or Pub of the Year​ 

• The Village People - London  

Brand of the Year​ 

• Crazy Gin Ltd

Rising Star ​

• Chef and Food Writer, Rahel Stephanie

Peoples’ Choice Person of the Year​

• Director of Human Resources at The Biltmore Mayfair, Sting Khumalo

The Peoples’ Choice Restaurant of the Year​ 

• Akoko