Now in its eighth year, the Kuits NRB Top Fifty is an exciting power list of the North’s most significant and influential hospitality operators. The list features big names and rising stars, including six new entries and two re-entries, and covers 212 brands, 1527 sites and over 22,840 employees, demonstrating the strength of the region’s hospitality scene.
The Kuits NRB Top Fifty 2019 has been announced today at Northern Restaurant & Bar 2019, the hospitality trade exhibition in Manchester. Three special award winners were also revealed, highlighting those operators who have enjoyed a particular stellar year.
Thom Hetherington, CEO of organisers Holden Media, says “It’s been another strong year for the North’s leading operators, driving the industry forward with a balance of expansion, innovation and consolidation. Recent data from CGA show that the restaurant and bar scene in the major Northern cities is far outperforming London, and I think that a combination of lower costs and a better lifestyle mean more and more operators are choosing to build their businesses in the North.”
The three special achievement awards were presented to Chris Hill of New World Trading Company, John Gyngell & Christian Townsley from North Brew Co and Nisha Katona of Mowlgi Street Food.
- Chris Hill, New World Trading Company
Following a further £5.6m investment from NatWest, NWTC has continued an impressive roll-out of over six sites a year. The company continues to build a strong collection of accolades as well as being a fixture in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.
- John Gyngell & Christian Townsley, North Brew Co
Their level of sustained commercial and critical progress in 2018/19 feels both relentless and organic and has been achieved whilst remaining an integral, much-loved part of Leeds’ food and drink community and become huge advocates for ACF in Yorkshire.
- Nisha Katona, Mowgli Street Food
Nisha’s latest openings include Manchester’s University Green development earlier this year, with sites confirmed in Sheffield, Cardiff and Leicester and more expansion plans in the pipeline. Nisha was also awarded an MBE for services to the food industry in 2018.
New entries in 2019 include the founders and directors of Daniel Thwaites, Evuna, Tattu, Ossett Brewery Pub Company, Inn Collection Group, and Gracious Development Group. In addition both Gusto and Revolution Bars re-entered the list due to impressive performance under their new management teams.
A panel of Northern hospitality experts in the fields of hospitality finance, accountancy, property, law and consultancy deliberated and cogitated through hours of research and pored over hundreds of pages of judging notes.
As specialist legal and commercial advisors to the leisure and hospitality sector, Kuits has been proud to support and judge these awards for a number of years and this year have further bolstered their commitment by being involved in what is now the Kuits NRB Top Fifty Awards.
“The hotly-anticipated list provides an important platform for the most exciting and influential new and established operators in the hospitality industry – a sector that is continuing to thrive in the UK, harnessing creativity, innovation and collaboration to propel brands forward amidst the increased political and economic pressures we’ve seen of late. We are delighted to present here those operators we feel are really making waves in what is a constantly evolving market. Thank you for helping to make the North the best place to eat, sleep and drink in the UK,” said Felicity Tulloch, Joint Head of Licensing, Kuits.
The Kuits NRB Top Fifty 2019 is sponsored by Biffa, Bruntwood, CGA, CPL Online, Jelf, Metis Real Estate, NatWest and RSM UK and is supported by JW Lees.
The invitation only Kuits NRB Top Fifty awards reception took place at 3pm on Tuesday 19 March 2019 at Northern Restaurant & Bar. NRB19 provides an opportunity for leading operators, suppliers and industry figures to meet, speak and do business. From Liverpool to Leeds, the North East to North West and the Lake District to the Peak District, NRB19 brings the cream of the hospitality industry to Manchester Central on 19-20 March.
Kuits NRB Top Fifty 2019
(listed alphabetically by surname and grouped by company)
Adele Ashley, Owner, Filmore & Union
Paul Askew, Chef Patron, The Art School
Rob Bacon, Executive Chef Director, Hickory’s Smokehouse
Jason Bligh, Director, Hickory’s Smokehouse
Neil McDonnell, Managing Director, Hickory’s Smokehouse
John Welsh, Operations Director, Hickory’s Smokehouse
James Baer, Managing Director, Amber Taverns
Gary Roberts, Operations Director, Amber Taverns
Richard Bailey, Director, Daniel Thwaites
Craig Bancroft, Managing Director, Northcote
Lisa Goodwin Allen, Executive Chef, Northcote
Tim Bird, Owner, Cheshire Cat Pub & Bars
Mary Mclaughlin, Owner, Cheshire Cat Pub & Bars
Ken Buckley, Managing Director, Bravo Inns
Phil Dearden, Finance Director, Bravo Inns
Sarah Cook, Director, Vaulkhard Group
Harry Vaulkhard, Director, Vaulkhard Group
Oliver Vaulkhard, Director, Vaulkhard Group
Morgan Davies, Founder / CEO, Barburrito
Carlo Distefano, Chairman, San Carlo Group
Marcello Distefano, Managing Director, San Carlo Group
Sean Donkin, Managing Director, Inn Collection Group
Ian Goulding, Chairman, Inn Collection Group
Keith Liddell, Executive Deputy Chairman, Inn Collection Group
Jane Dowler, Founder, Evuna
Roy Ellis, Director, Mission Mars
Neil Macleod, Director, Mission Mars
Joel Wilkinson, Director, Mission Mars
Adelaide Winter, Director, Mission Mars
John Ennis, Owner, Graffiti Spirit
Matthew, Farrell, Owner, Graffiti Spirit
Jobe Ferguson, Director, Blackdog Ballroom & The Liars Club
Lyndon Higginson, Director, Blackdog Ballroom & The Liars Club
Ross Mackenzie, Director, Blackdog Ballroom & The Liars Club
Kit Graves, Director, Lake District Hotels
Charles Graves, Director, Lake District Hotels
Dani Hope, Sales & Marketing Director, Lake District Hotels
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER John Gyngell, Director, North Bar / North Brewing Company
Christian Townsley, Director, North Bar / North Brewing Company
Jamie Hawksworth, Owner, Pivovar / The Tapped Brew Co
Jonathon Holdsworth, Founder, Pivovar / The Tapped Brew Co
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER Chris Hill, CEO, New World Trading Company
James Hitchen, Founder, East Coast Concepts
Guy Hitchen, Founder, East Concepts
Chris Hopkins, MD, Hydes Brewery
Marko Husak, Founder, Bundobust
Mayur Patel, Founder, Bundobust
Adam Jones, Managing Director, Tattu
Drew Jones, Marketing Director, Tattu
Matthew Jones, Managing Director, Roxy Leisure
Ben Jones, Managing Director, Concept Taverns
Ashley Kollakowski, Rose Four Group
Simon Stevens, Rose Four Group
Barry Ladhar, Crafted Projects
Michael Ladhar, Crafted Projects
Bob Lawson, Chairman, Ossett Brewery Pub Company
Jamie Lawson, Owner, Ossett Brewery Pub Company
Terry Laybourne, Owner, 21 Hospitality Group
William Lees Jones, Managing Director, JW Lees
Simon Lees Jones, Director, JW Lees
Daniel Murphy, Director, Gracious Development Group
Ryan McMahon, Director, Gracious Development Group
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER Nisha Katona, Founder, Mowgli Street Food
Tomas Maunier, Director, Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill
Robert Melman, Director, Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill
Paul Moran, Managing Director, Living Ventures
Jeremy Roberts, CEO, Living Ventures
Lucy Nelson, Sales & Marketing Director, Nelson Hotels
Andrew Nelson, Operations Director, Nelson Hotels
Joycelyn Neve, Managing Director, Seafood Pub Company
Andrew Pern, Owner / Executive Chef, The Star at Harome/Star Inn The City
Steve Pilling, Co Owner, Damson Group
Rob Pitcher, CEO, Revolution Bars Group
Jonathan Poole, Director, Red and Blue
Paddy Smith, Director, Red and Blue
Simon Potts, Managing Director, The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant
Oliver Robinson, Managing Director, Robinson’s Brewery
William Robinson, Director, Robinson’s Brewery
Simon Rogan, Co Owner, Umbel Restaurant Group
Matt Snell, Managing Director, Gusto
Chris Soley, Chief Executive, Camerons Brewery
David Soley, Chairman, Camerons Brewery
Chris Ure, Owner, Arc Inspirations
Martin Wolstencroft, Managing Director / Owner, Arc Inspirations
Gary Usher, Owner, Elite Bistros
Steven Walker, CEO, Individual Restaurants
James Warburton, James’s Places
Andrew Wildsmith, Founder, Wildsmith Hotels