The evening celebrated winners across a wide variety of categories, including Nina Matsunaga (The Black Bull Inn) for Chef of the Year, Hot ‘N’ Juicy Shrimp for Brand of the Year and Gina Knight, head of people at Flat Iron Steak, for Head Office Impact.
Additional awards presented were Drinks Professional of the Year, Writer of the Year, Rising Star, Bar/Pub of the Year, African Food, Caribbean Food, East and Southeast Asian Food, Middle Eastern Food, South Asian Food, plus People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year and People’s Choice Person of the Year, which were decided by the public after over 2,000 votes were cast.
This year, BIH also introduced two new award categories, Wine Professional of the Year and Industry Icon.
As in previous years, the judging panel featured an extensive list of leading voices, including chef and author Shelina Permalloo, chief executive of Umbrella Training Adele C. Oxberry, and BBQ chef and writer Melissa Thompson.
“These awards are the beating heart of our mission to celebrate and uplift hospitality talent across the UK,” says Be Inclusive Hospitality founder and CEO Lorraine Copes.
“This year has shown just how powerful collaboration can be – from partners and sponsors to our wider community, all coming together to champion creativity, resilience, and innovation. We’re proud to shine a light on those making an impact today, while inspiring the next generation to shape an inclusive and thriving future for our industry.”
Sasha Shaker, UK and Ireland’s senior director at headline sponsor OpenTable, added: “We are delighted to be headline sponsor of this year’s awards. Every nominee and winner truly reflects the remarkable talent in UK hospitality. Our industry is built on welcoming everyone and these awards showcase how fostering inclusion empowers teams and enriches the diner experience.”
The BIH Spotlight Awards were established in 2022 to recognise outstanding talent from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds in the hospitality, food, and drink sectors.
The awards aim to recognise achievement while creating opportunities to connect, inspire, and shape the future of the industry. Each year, hundreds of nominations are received, with finalists being judged by leading industry voices.
Founded by Lorraine Copes in 2020, BIH is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers skills development programmes and DEI services, while partnering with others to advance equity and inclusion across the hospitality industry.
The 2025 BIH Spotlight Awards in full
Individual Awards
Chef of the Year - Nina Matsunaga - The Black Bull Inn, Sedbergh
Rising Star - Eron Mibo - Tales and Tails UK
Writer of the Year – Angela Zaher - food writer
Wine Professional of the Year - Leona De Pasquale, Camellia and Vine
Beverage Innovator of the Year - Sherwin Acebuche - Tarsier Southeast Asian Spirit
Head Office Impact - Gina Knight - Flat Iron Steak
Industry Icon of the Year - Tevin Tobun, founder of ROUTD and GV Group
Cuisine Awards
African Food - Khadim Mane, Little Baobab
Caribbean Food - Nikki Whyte, Patois
East and Southeast Asian Food - Kaneda Pen, Mamapen
South Asian Food - Kanthi Thamma, The Spice Circuit
Middle Eastern Food - Jad Youssef, Lebnani Restaurant
Business Awards
Bar/Pub of the Year - Deano Moncrieffe, Hacha Bar
Brand of the Year - Hot ‘N’ Juicy Shrimp LDN
People’s Choice
People’s Choice Person of the Year - Emanuele Mensah, The Connaught Bar
People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year - Sham Mahabir, LIMIN SOUTHBANK