Queen's Diamond Jubilee Birthday Honours List: Firmdale Hotels co-founders and Patrick Dempsey among hospitality figures recognised

By Peter Ruddick

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Great british menu Hotel Oliver peyton

Queen's Diamond Jubilee Birthday Honours List: Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants managing director Patrick Dempsey and Firmdale Hotels co-founders Tim and Kit Kemp are among hospitality figures to be recognised in the annual list
Queen's Diamond Jubilee Birthday Honours List: Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants managing director Patrick Dempsey and Firmdale Hotels co-founders Tim and Kit Kemp are among hospitality figures to be recognised in the annual list
Firmdale Hotels co-founders Tim and Kit Kemp are among the hospitality figures recognised in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Birthday Honours List, while it has been announced separately that restaurateur and Great British Menu judge Oliver Peyton is being made an honorary OBE.

Kit Kemp, interior designer and co-founder of Firmdale Hotels, has been made an MBE for services to the hotel industry and charity as has her husband and fellow co-founder of the hotel chain Tim Kemp. Elsewhere in the hospitality industry, Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants managing director Patrick Dempsey has been made an OBE.

The annual list, released on the Queen's official birthday, recognises nominees who are judged to have demonstrated outstanding achievement and service to society.

Peter Salussolia, chair of Glendola Leisure and owner of Hotel Management International receives an OBE while The Lanesborough London Hotel head chef Paul Gayler is made an MBE. Another chef, Adam Peirson, sous chef at Claridge's receives an MBE for his services to skills as a WorldSkills ambassador for cooking.

Kellie Rixon, group brand development director for De Vere Group and managing director of the De Vere Academy, is also made an MBE.

Oliver Peyton

Meanwhile it has been announced separately that 50-year-old Irish-born restaurateur Oliver Peyton has been given an honorary OBE for services to the hospitality industry. 

"I am hugely grateful for the wonderful career that I have in the industry, and now to have been recognised with this honour is the icing on the cake," Peyton said of the award.

"I am hugely surprised, but am thrilled to have received an OBE. It’s a magnificent honour. I also want to thank my sisters Caitriona, Siobhan and Marie, who run Peyton and Byrne alongside me, as it wouldn’t have been possible without their help and support," he added.

Since moving to the UK from Ireland, where he was born in 1961, Peyton has developed a long and well-respected career in the hospitality industry. His first venture into business began in the 1980s with two nightclubs in London and Brighton.

After creating a premium drinks importing company credited with helping to kick-start the UK cocktail culture, Peyton moved into restaurants before opening the first of a number of eateries in public spaces or institutions. Under the Peyton and Byrne brand he now runs eight restaurants including within Kew Gardens and the National Gallery.

Peyton also heads up an events firm and a number of bakeries as well as taking on a role as one of the judges on the hit BBC TV series the Great British Menu. The seventh series of show culminated last week in four chefs, including Simon Rogan and Daniel Clifford, preparing and cooking an Olympic-themed banquet.

Other winners

Elsewhere on the Birthday Honours List, Anthony Lowe has been made an MBE for his work for the Manchester-based charity FareShare which tackles food waste and works with restaurants and the hospitality industry to provide surplus food to those suffering in food poverty.

Cookery writer and Great British Menu judge Mary Berry has received a CBE. 

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