Chef Angela Hartnett, hospitality veteran Robin Hutson and Greene King’s Andrew Wilson were among a number of people in the hospitality sector to have been recognised in the New Year Honours list for 2022.
Hartnett, who received an MBE in 2007, was awarded an OBE for services to the hospitality industry and to the NHS during the Covid-19 response, while Hutson was given the same honour for services to the hospitality industry and philanthropy.
During the height of the first lockdown the chef-patron of Michelin-starred Murano in Mayfair and owner of the Café Murano brand helped found Cook-19, a volunteer-led not-for-profit project making sure no NHS worker goes without during the COVID-19 outbreak.
She also backed Into Hospitality, an initiative launched to help people find work in the hospitality sector and, alongside Hutson, campaigned for the creation of the role of a dedicated Minister for Hospitality.
Writing on Twitter, she described the recognition as a “real honour” made even more special to be awarded alongside Hutson.
Hutson, CEO of The Pig hotel group and Lime Wood hotel, has been vocal in calling on the government for more support for the hospitality sector.
In 2020 he wrote a letter Prime Minister Boris Johnson, signed by many other high-profile figures in the hospitality sector, requesting more support and last year he was among a number of industry leaders to join the government’s Hospitality Sector Council.
He thanked his teams for the recognition, saying “through their hard work [they] make us look good”.
Others to be recognised in the 2022 New Year Honours list included Andrew Wilson, managing director at Greene King’s Destination Food Brands Division (pictured above), was awarded an MBE for services to business and to charity during the pandemic with the pub group donating £250,000 of food to Fareshare, the Felix Project, Bread & Butter charity and Emmaus, as well as local foodbanks and the NHS.
Wilson commented: “I’m absolutely thrilled to receive an MBE and to have helped support Macmillan Cancer Support over what has been an incredibly difficult time for charities impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.
“Greene King is more than pubs and beer: it’s about creating a heart of the community and giving something back. Our teams have done a fantastic job fundraising this year and it has been amazing to witness. I’m incredibly proud of all of them and this really has been a team effort throughout.”
