THE Northern Restaurant & Bar, the largest hospitality trade exhibition outside London, smashed all records this time with more than 7,000 industry professionals attending and spending big with the show’s 270 exhibitors, supplying everything from artisan foods, tableware and wine, to furniture, ovens and gadgets.
Testimony to the success of the show, reflecting the booming Northern hospitality scene, was the fact that over half the exhibitors rebookied their stand for NRB 2016 before even leaving the event held at Manchester Central
The NRB Top 50 2015 is a prestigious who’s who of the catering industry’s great and good in the North Of England. To see who made it onto the list visit this link.
Three special achievement awards were also made – to Jonathan Slater, shortly to retire after more than 30 years as MD of the Chester Grosvenor; William Lees Jones for taking JW Lees, an established but conventional brewery business, and reshaping it for the 21st Century with an emphasis on food and more contemporary brands, but no loss of its integrity and tradition; and finally Nigel Haworth and Craig Bancroft for their staggering levels of success and longevity at Northcote, near Blackburn, and their undimmed ambitions which have taken in major capital projects, a growing pub estate and the spectacular Obsessions chef festival.
Lees Jones, Bancroft and Slater are pictured above with Thom Hetherington, right, CEO of NTB organisers Holden Media.