Assia Riccio wins the Savoy Gastronomes
Olive Barnett Award
25 May 2011
Assia Riccio, guest services manager at Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, was last night announced as the winner of The Savoy Gastronomes' Olive Barnett Award 2011.
Riccio said: "It is a professional and personal achievement to win this Award. It has been very intense but the knowledge which I have gained from this experience is immense. This experience has really helped me mature as a person and network with great industry professionals. I am overwhelmed!"
The Savoy Gastronomes' Olive Barnett Award celebrates excellence in hospitality. It was created in recognition of Olive Barnett, a pioneer of the highest standards in the hotel industry. The award is organised by Springboard with principal sponsor The Savoy Hotel.
Anne Pierce, CEO of Springboard, said the eight finalists had "excelled to be here" and that she felt "privileged to be involved with the future talent of the industry". She added that the judges had a "horrendous time because everyone was so fantastic".
The awards ceremony was held at the beautiful setting of The Savoy and over 250 VIP industry bodies attended the prestigious evening, which marked the end of an intense judging weekend for the eight finalists.
As winner of the award for 2011, Assia will receive a career development grant of £1,750 per year for two years, donated by the Savoy Educational Trust. She will also spend one week on the Lausanne Executive Education Summer Programme, provided by the globally respected Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland.
The eight finalists were:
Adam Beck – Assistant Restaurant Manager, The Grove Hotel
Laura – Anne Cawston – Assistant Front Office Manager, The Savoy Hotel
Katie Lister – Head Waiter, Stratheam Restaurant, The Gleneagles Hotel
Polly Robertson – Conference Services Manager, The Savoy
Assia Riccio – Guest Services Manager, Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons
Shankhanhil Roy – Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, The London Marriott Hotel, Regents Park
Kasia Slawinska – Receptionist, Crown Plaza London The City
Ramona Webley – Assistant Executive Housekeeper, The London Marriott Hotel, County Hall
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