BIH Spotlight Awards 2026 winners unveiled

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 14 October, 2026

London’s swish Quaglino’s once again provided the backdrop for the Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) Awards bash this year, with the popular event bringing together 300 industry professionals to celebrate the sector’s Black and ethnic minority talent.

Led by BIH founder and CEO Lorraine Copes, and now in its fifth year, the glittering event has established itself a serious marker of both rising stars and established success stories across 16 categories, spanning chefs, restaurants, pubs, drinks professionals, brands, cuisines, people leaders and writers.

Among the many highlights were a double gong for Nathaniel Mortley of NattyCanCook, whose journey from prison time to champion of Caribbean cuisine landed him both People’s Choice Person of the Year Award and the Best Caribbean Food category.

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Awards similarly went to finalists representing seven regions across the UK, across a mouthwatering array of differing cuisines, running the gamut from Nigerian tapas to Middle Eastern cooking, by way of Pakistani and South East Asian food, plus much else besides (see below).

On the drinks side, Birmingham beer writer and broadcaster Marverine Cole – one of the UK’s first accredited female beer sommeliers – won the Moët Hennessy UK-sponsored Beverage Professional of the Year, while Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Mireku of Manny Does Wine took the Decanter-backed Wine Professional of the Year.

In the Business Categories, Bar/Pub of the Year, sponsored by headline supporter OpenTable, went to music venue and cultural hub House of MOBO in south London.

“Every year, these awards bring new stories, journeys and ambitions from 60 finalists. What has remained constant over the past five years is the exhilaration, celebration and connections forged between our community and partners, a reminder of hospitality’s bright future,” said Copes as she introduced the Awards.

“Recognition and visibility for deserving people and businesses matter more than ever. Hospitality is a tough industry to navigate, and my hope is that these awards continue to give our finalists the encouragement and momentum to keep moving forward.”

Laure Bornet, senior vice president of international growth at OpenTable, added: “Five years in, these awards keep proving a crucial point: hospitality’s future is as diverse as it is talented. This year’s finalists represent seven UK regions and more than 10 cuisines, reflecting the creativity, ambition and breadth that make the industry so exciting.”

BIH is a not-for-profit with ‘a mission to accelerate inclusion and belonging’ across the hospitality industry. Specialising in race and ethnicity, the social enterprise supports a community of over 1,000 hospitality professionals across the UK, seeking to address the underrepresentation of ethnic minority talent within leadership roles.

The winners of the 2026 BIH Spotlight Awards:

Individual categories

Chef of the Year – Ayesha Kalaji, Queen of Cups, Glastonbury (sponsored by Caterer.com)

Rising Star – Dijön Bascombe, chef & founder, Dijön Cafe, London (sponsored by Matthew Clark Bibendum)

Writer of the Year – Safiya Robinson, Sisterwoman (sponsored by Mentzendorff)

Wine Professional of the Year – Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Mireku, Manny Does Wine (sponsored by Decanter)

Beverage Professional of the Year – Marverine Cole, accredited Beer Sommelier (sponsored by Moët Hennessy UK)

Head Office Impact – Priya Narain, head of purpose & programmes, KERB+ (sponsored by Unox)

Cuisine Categories

African Food – Chishuru, London (sponsored by The Voice)

Caribbean Food – 2210 by NattyCanCook, London (sponsored by The Voice)

East and Southeast Asian Food – Liu Xiaomian, London