The general manager of a Portsmouth cocktail bar has won the top trophy in the annual awards run by pub and bar operator TCG to recognise its top-performing employees.
At a ceremony this week, Peter Collett, general manager of Bar 38 in Portsmouth’s Gunwharf Quays, won the Outstanding Achievement Award for maintaining a thriving business over the past seven years.
TCG also announced General Manager of the Year awards across its three divisions: Dominic Borg of Mosaic in Exeter for Young Bars, Shawn Bewick of Henry’s Café Bar in Piccadilly, London, for Quality sites, and Brett Sanders of the Golden Fleece in Chelmsford, Essex, for Local Pubs.
Representatives from TCG’s 69 sites joined operations and head office teams at the awards ceremony at The Belfry, near Sutton Coldfield, in Warwickshire. It recognised the achievements of general managers, deputies, team members and head office employees from across the business.
Peter was praised for turning Bar 38 in the waterfront Gunwharf Quays retail and leisure complex into a thriving site, offering affordable lunches and coffees to shoppers by day and serving up cocktails and a lively atmosphere to a younger crowd by night.
The site is also the top fundraiser for TCG’s nominated charity, Cancer Research UK, having raised more than £5,000 over the last 12 months.
Peter said: “Being an effective operator isn’t especially complicated, but it does require consistently high standards and a focus on providing great customer service, every time.
“We are trading in a very competitive market and we aim to make sure we’re the best cocktail bar in Portsmouth so that customers never want to go anywhere else.”
The award for regional operations manager award went to Paul Walton who looks after London and south-east England. Each winner received a plaque, gift vouchers and a bottle of champagne.
Chief operating officer Nigel Wright said: “Rewarding individuals for their success over the last 12 months is always a pleasure, although choosing the winners this year was harder than ever, with many strong contenders for each category.
“This is, we believe, a reflection of the talent that exists at all levels throughout our business and the determination of our general managers everywhere to make their pub or bar the best in its local market.
“We have adopted a very focused approach to our business, giving individual sites the support they need to thrive, which last year included limited targeted investments at around 10 sites.
“At the same time, we also provide industry-leading training and development across the company, and last year invested in new cocktail, wine and hot drinks offers, as well as a return of our successful cask ale drive.”
TCG Outstanding Achievement Award 2013
Peter Collett, Bar 38, Portsmouth
TCG General Manager of the Year, Young Bars
Dominic Borg, Mosaic, Exeter
TCG General Manager of the Year, Quality
Shawn Bewick, Henry’s Café Bar, Piccadilly, London
TCG General Manager of the Year, Local Pubs
Brett Sanders, Golden Fleece, Chelmsford, Essex
Regional Operations Manager of the Year
Winner: Paul Walton (London and south-east)
Most Promising General Manager of the Year
Peter Kitson, George Staples, Sidcup, London
Food Business of the Year
Lamb Inn, Norwich, run by Clive Hitchens & Michelle Gianadda-Hitchens
Social Media Award
Henry’s Café Bar, Cardiff
TCG Central Support award
Phill Roughan, viral marketing manager
Sales manager recognition
Kate Coppinger, Henry’s Café Bar Covent Garden, London
Priya Chopra, Henry’s Café Bar Piccadilly, London
Kathryn Bardhaj, Henry’s Café Bar Cardiff
Deputy manager recognition
Sion Partridge, Henry’s Café Bar, Cardiff
Sarah Brown, Corn Exchange, Preston, Lancashire
Claudia Schadegg, St James Tavern, Soho, London
Sarah Sharpe, Star, Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire
Team member recognition
Jenna Wells, Royal Oak/Rendezvous, Weymouth, Dorset
Tijramba Ripahua, Squares, Nottingham
Chiara Nieddu, Henry’s Café Bar, Covent Garden, London
Katarzyna Konopinska, St James Tavern, Soho, London
Pictured (left to right): Dominic Borg, Mosaic; Paul Walton, regional operations manager; Peter Collett, Bar 38; Nigel Wright, chief operations officer; Ben Levick, director of operations; Brett Sanders, Golden Fleece; and Shawn Bewick, Henry’s Café Bar, Piccadilly
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