Brighton & Hove's 2021 Hospitality Rising Stars Awarded

The cream of hospitality talent in Brighton & Hove were celebrated in a fabulous ceremony this week (22.11.21)

Organised by Bite Sussex in collaboration with the Sussex branch of the Institute of Hospitality, the inaugural Rising Stars awards championing careers in food and drink whilst celebrating the contribution young people make to restaurants, bars, farming and production across the two counties were held at Monarch on Kings Road in Brighton on Monday 22 November with around 120 guests in attendance.

Hosted by the BBC’s Allison Ferns and Latest TV’s Andrew Kay, there were eight categories including fishing, wine, kitchen, production, bar, front-of-house, hidden hero and Sussex champion.

Public nominations opened in the Spring with over 250 individuals aged 26 or under put forward by colleagues, guests and employers. Nominations were then carefully looked over by a panel of 18 industry experts – chaired by Sir Peter Field KCVO – before a comprehensive written submission and phone interview process took place.

To find out more about the winners - click here.

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus tops the UK Bus Awards for community work

Victoria Garcia

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus tops the UK Bus Awards for community work

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus has picked up two accolades for its services to the community at the 2021 UK Bus and Coach Awards, announced earlier this week.

The bus company’s inspirational Above & Beyond campaign, which features 24 local people who have made a positive difference to other peoples’ lives on the side of its buses, was a winner in the Services to the Community category.

The 24 individuals were all chosen by local community groups and the public and included 85-year-old roller skating charity fundraiser Roller Roy; disability campaigner Lizzie Batten; chef Gabriel Gutierrez, who delivered hot meals to struggling families during lockdown; learning mentor Kate Jordan; and Clock Tower Sanctuary volunteers Paul Phipps and Mark Sewell, who give homeless young people things most people take for granted, like a hot shower, a cup of tea and clean clothes.

All of their stories appear on the inside of the route 1 buses, which travel between the city and Whitehawk.

The bus company’s Accessibility and Communities Manager Victoria Garcia MBE also won the award for Impact on the Bus Industry by an Individual for her work campaigning for accessible travel for everybody.

Victoria led on establishing the bus company’s award-winning Helping Hand Card and has also worked extensively with disabled people and community groups on bus design and bus driver training, as well as leading a campaign to address hate crime on public transport. She was awarded an MBE in 2019 for services to disabled transport users.

Brighton & Hove and Metrobus Managing Director Martin Harris said: “We have always been a bus company that sets great store by our close connection to the people and the communities we serve and that’s why these two awards are so special. I am proud of my colleagues for their achievements and of the way they have continued to get out there and engage with people, despite the pandemic.

“I also want to acknowledge the massive range of community groups that we work with behind the scenes every day to make our bus services better for everyone. Our stewardship of our community's bus services is a responsibility we take very seriously and we have always worked hard to be more than 'just a bus company'.”

To find out more about the people and the stories behind Above & Beyond click here.

You can read more about the work of the Accessibility and Communities team click here.

Business groups representing more than 20,000 businesses across London and the South East issue support for Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway plans

Business groups representing more than 20,000 businesses across London and the South East issue support for Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway plans

• 36 business groups across Sussex, Surrey, Kent and London pledge support for Gatwick Airport’s plans

• Letter to Transport Secretary says the pandemic has demonstrated that benefits Gatwick generates cannot be taken for granted and urges supporters to make their voice heard

• Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway public consultation will run until 1st December 2021 with information available at www.gatwickairport.com/futureplans

In a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, representatives of more than 20,000 businesses across Sussex, Surrey, Kent and London, have come together to pledge their support for Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway Project.

This low-impact plan, designed to maximise the use of existing infrastructure, involves moving the centre-line of Gatwick’s current Northern Runway 12 metres, to enable it to be used for departing flights alongside the existing Main Runway.

Led by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, 36 business groups across the region – including the Sussex, Surrey, London and Kent Chambers of Commerce, Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, British International Freight Association and the South East Construction Expo – have put their names to the letter of support.

Many of the businesses represented by these organisations have benefitted from Gatwick’s supply chains, from the millions of tourists who fly into the airport each year and from the diverse economic clusters that have flourished in the region due to the connectivity and opportunities offered by the airport.

In the letter, issued today, the groups said they recognised the benefits that Gatwick had generated for the region in previous years, but state that the pandemic demonstrated that these benefits cannot be taken for granted, including the 18,400 new jobs and £1.5 billion the airport’s Northern Runway plan would deliver for the region’s economy.

Brett North, Chair, Gatwick Diamond Initiative said: “Gatwick Airport is the epicentre of the South East economy, and plays an important role in attracting and retaining businesses, strengthening the diversity of our economy. Gatwick’s plans for the northern runway and its continuing commitment to invest in its infrastructure offers opportunities for employment, retaining a skilled workforce and the continued economic success of the region.”

Ana Christie, CEO, Sussex Chamber of Commerce said: “In order to meet passenger demand and our increased desire to travel, by bringing the Northern Runway into use would provide greater customer choice and generate greater economic benefits for the region. The expansion would support the revival of the area through new opportunities in procurement, supply chain spending and jobs growth.”

Louise Punter, CEO, Surrey Chamber of Commerce said: “One of the key advantages of businesses setting up in Surrey is the easy access to international markets. We are very supportive of the developments at Gatwick to ensure this advantage continues to be maximised in the coming years.”

Jo James, OBE, CEO, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce said: “Gatwick Airport is a major part of the infrastructure and connectivity that is so vital to businesses across Kent & the South East. This project makes the best use of an existing asset and brings with it extra benefits for our members and the wider economy.”

Richard Burge, CEO, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: “LCCI strongly supports Gatwick Airport’s Northern Runway plans. This expansion would be vital in boosting both the London and the UK economy, as well as helping to cement London’s position as a premier global city in which to do business, and vital to the inflow of tourism, trade and investment to the UK.”

The 36 groups now urge their members to respond to Gatwick’s public consultation and show support for future growth and prosperity across the region, before the 1 December deadline.