Jane O’Riordan scoops Retailers’ Retailer of the Year 2023

Jane O’Riordan, the chair of Turtle Bay, Red Engine and Caravan, has been voted by her senior peers in the sector as Retailers’ Retailer of the Year 2023.

Formerly strategy director at Nando’s, MD of Yellowwoods private equity, and currently an advisor for Piper, Jane saw off strong competition from Nick Mackenzie, Simon Emeny, Roy Ellis, and Alex Reilley and Nick Collins to win the coveted gong.

Meanwhile, Corbin & King co-founder Jeremy King was recognised for his long and influential impact on the restaurant sector with a Lifetime Achievement award.

Alongside partner Chris Corbin, King operated classics such as The Wolseley, The Delaunay, Brasserie Zédel, Fischer’s and Bellanger to a fiercely loyal customer base.

The awards, which were announced last night at The Roundhouse in Camden, saw a double win for Mission Mars concept Albert’s Schloss.

The Bavarian and Alpine inspired beer hall, cookhaus and entertainment pleasure palace won Best Concept and Best Experiential Concept, the latter a new addition to the Retailers’ Retailer Awards line-up.

JKS Restaurants was victorious in new category Best Restaurant Company, for its innovative and expanding multi-brand, multi-format, multi-cuisine portfolio.

Inception Group scooped Best Pub/Bar Company, which is also expanding on multiple fronts, its Control Room B bar in Battersea Power Station described by its founders as a “career highlight”.

Big Mamma Group, the French-founded, Italian-inspired operator, won International Brand of the Year, having launched some of London’s most popular and flamboyant restaurants in recent years.

Best New Opening went to BrewDog’s Waterloo Station location, a 27,500sq ft, multi-levelled venue, reported to be the biggest bar in the UK.

Emerging Concept was awarded to Casa do Frango, MJMK Restaurants’ Algarve-inspired piri-piri chicken concept.

McDonald’s won Best use of Tech, for continuing to lead the way with a remodelling programme which sets the brand up to better manage complex, personalised orders.

Deal of the Year was presented to Greene King for its purchase of Hickory’s, which will see it roll out the smokehouse concept across its estate. The deal saw Piper exit Hickory’s, having acquired the business for £6m in 2014, growing it to 17 restaurants.

Imbiba scooped Investor of the Year, an entrepreneur-run, entrepreneur-backing firm which has stakes in Pizza Pilgrims, Darwin & Wallace, Vagabond, and more recently Big Fang Collective and Clays.

Best Omnichannel Brand, evolved from the Evolution Award, saw itsu triumph, after a year of major digital transformation, growth of its grocery business, and records sales.

The Rising Star Award, judged with support from Peter Martin and Kate Nicholls, was presented to Anni Opong, MD of Arc Inspirations. Her CEO Martin Wolstencroft described her as a “star in the making” from the very beginning, and a fantastic role model for young women in the hospitality sector.

The Sustainability Award went to Caravan, which is looking to go well beyond carbon neutral and is setting itself the task of becoming climate positive. The speciality coffee shop, roastery and restaurant business was chosen as the winner by a special judging panel supported by the Sustainable Restaurant Association and Net Zero Now.

MCA editor Finn Scott-Delany said: “The exceptional quality of our winners this evening are a great testament to the hard-work, innovation and resilience of our hospitality sector. It has been an incredibly difficult past few years, but the leading operators represented at these awards have demonstrated great strength of spirit in overcoming a multitude of challenges, and continuing to put their customers first.”

The awards were sponsored by AlixPartners, Aspall Cider, Brakes, Chapman Ventilation, Greene King, Lumina Intelligence, Pernod Ricard UK, Red Bull, Uber Eats and Vita Mojo.