GQ Food & Drink Awards winners named

Cornerstone chef Brown was named Best Chef, The Frog’s Handling was named Best Restaurateur and Gyngell took home the Sustainability Award for her work at Spring (Heckfield Place in Hampshire, which is overseen by Gyngell, won Best Interior).

Best Restaurant went to The Lecture Room & Library at Sketch, which was awarded three Michelin stars last year.

“Since bursting onto the scene 17 years ago, Sketch - under the daring direction of Algerian emigre Mourad Mazouz - has broken the mould of starched and stale fine dining, creating an unapologetically OTT restaurant without ever underplaying the pedigree of the kitchen,” the judges said.

Best Breakthrough went to The Standard, Best Sommelier went to Trinity’s Sara Rossi, Best Front of House went to Jaunito Ascencio at Chiltern Firehouse, Best Pub went to The Mariners in Rock, Cornwall and Best Overall Experience went to the Isle of Wight’s The Hut.

Sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, the awards celebrate ‘the innovation and talent that continues to set British hospitality apart globally’.

This year, the awards are aimed to ‘shine a light on all the restaurants, bars, chefs, hotels and all-round food heroes who contribute more than 120 billion pounds to the UK economy and this year, more than ever, they need our support’.
This year’s judges were GQ editor-in-Chief Dylan Jones, Alexei Rosin, Sunaina Sethi, Ben Elloit, Mia Johansson, Tom Kitchin, Melissa Hemsley, Olivery Peyton and Tara Bernerd.