Belfast restaurant manager Peter McAlister has been announced as the 2012 UK Restaurant Manager of the year. McAlister, who is restaurant manager at the Culloden Estate and Spa Hotel in Belfast, received the prestigious award at a ceremony in London's Westbury Mayfair Hotel on 22 October.
The Belfast native has worked at the Culloden for 15 years, after a previous spell at Malmaison Hotels. This was the third year he has gotten through to the final of the competition. Speaking afterwards, he said he was “delighted and absolutely shocked”.
Organised by the Academy of Food and Wine Service (AFWS), the competition saw four restaurant managers compete in the final, with tasks ranging from a customer service scenario to a Drgaon's Den-style presentation in which the competitors pitched a business plan for a new restaurant to a panel of potential of investors. Throughout the event, finallists were quizzed on their food and wine knowledge, management ability and customer service skills.
John Croft, executive director of the AFWS, said that McAlister was “extremely professional as well as having a warm personality and good management skills”.
“The judges were unanimous in awarding him the title. He will be a great ambassador for the industry.”
