NEWS
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR SUSSEX FOOD AND DRINK AWARDS 2017
After a hugely successful 10th anniversary year , Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2017 is now open to take online nominations at www . sussexfoodawards . biz , seeking the best Sussex food and drink producers and the outlets that sell and serve the best in the county .
Patron of the awards , Sally Gunnell OBE , has welcomed new sponsors ETI Ltd , Worthingbased makers of Thermapen , for the ‘ Sussex Eating Experience of the Year ’ category , as well as Plumpton College , with its trailblazing butchery apprenticeships , and Brighton meat wholsesaler , RP Meats , as co-sponsors for ‘ Sussex Butcher of the Year ’.
Paula Seager and Hilary Knight , co-directors of Natural Partnerships CIC , who run the awards as a not-for-profit scheme to boost the local and artisan food and drink industry , thanked all the sponsors , saying that their support and enthusiasm are crucial to the awards ’ continued success .
“ Sussex Food and Drink Awards is the only awards scheme which highlights , recognises and supports Sussex farmers and producers , and the businesses that sell and promote their produce ,” said Paula Seager . “ Over the last eleven years , the awards have encouraged more and more people to discover and explore local markets , food shops and restaurants where they can sample the very best local produce and see for themselves why it tastes so much better .”
Everyone is welcome to nominate their favourites and businesses can also nominate themselves . Nominations for six of the categories including Sussex Food Producer , Drink Producer , Butcher , Food Shop , Farmers Market and Eating Experience , will close on 8th June .
Hilary Knight from Sussex Food and Drink Awards , said : “ Nominations are so important to these awards , without them a hidden jewel in the crown might just be missed , so make sure that your favourite is on the list at www . sussexfoodawards . biz .”
THE GRAND EASTBOURNE NAMED AS ONE OF THE BEST HOSPITALITY EMPLOYERS IN THE UK
The Grand Hotel in Eastbourne has been named as one of the 30 best places to work in hospitality in the UK in an annual survey of employees across the industry .
Every year , people engagement specialist , Purple Cubed , and leading hospitality industry magazine , The Caterer , conduct a nationwide search to find the best employers in hospitality , as voted for by their own staff . The Grand entered this year ’ s list at number 13 , making it the highestplaced individual hotel in the south of England outside of London .
With 170 employees , The Grand , part of the Elite Hotel Group , is one of Eastbourne ’ s biggest hospitality employers . It has been awarded the title of one of the best places to work in hospitality for reducing its staff turnover from 20 percent to 16 percent ; supporting development of inhouse talent as demonstrated by 30 internal promotions in the past year ; and introducing successful staff engagement initiatives .
Personnel and development manager at The Grand , Sarah Hoyle , has been driving the new engagement initiatives and leading recruitment drives in the local community . Speaking after the awards announcement , Sarah said : “ We are absolutely delighted to have been named one of the best places to work in hospitality . This is the first year The Grand has entered , so to rank so highly among leading hotel groups in the industry , catering companies , bars , and restaurants is a fantastic achievement for us . It ’ s a great recognition for all of our 170 staff for their hard work over the past year .”
General manager at The Grand , Jonathan Webley , added : “ I ’ m extremely proud of every member of staff here at the hotel for their contributions to our success in winning this award . This helps to further cement our position as one of the leading hospitality employers not only in Eastbourne , but in the south of England .”
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