Carl Newey, Food Development Manager at Stonegate Group, has taken home the prestigious City Bar/Dining Award at the Menu Innovation and Development Awards (MIDAS) 2024.
The awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in the foodservice industry, honouring creativity, innovation, and exceptional menu development.
Industry professionals gathered at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham on March 7 2024 for the award ceremony where the winners in each of the 27 categories were decided by a team of mystery diners and judges.
Stonegate Group faced stiff competition from industry giants Brewdog and Mitchell & Butlers, however Carl’s commitment to innovation and quality secured his victory.
As a Food Development Manager, Carl’s key focus is to drive quality within his areas of development. He has been able to do this by working closely with Stonegate’s UK suppliers to develop award winning products, such as his Red Wine & Fennel sausages, which won the National Craft Butchers Gold Award, Great Taste Award with Carl also receiving recognition at the British Pie Awards.
Carl works across the Premium food formats, working closely with Head Chefs to coordinate menu training, culinary competitions and supports with the opening of new Stonegate pubs. Carl also works directly with suppliers to ensure he is sourcing fresh seasonal produce to give guests the best culinary experience. He keeps up to date with the constantly evolving market and pitches innovate dishes across each format.
Carl said: “I’m incredibly honoured to receive this prestigious award. Dedication to making sure we are constantly progressing and developing is so important to me, and I am so happy this has been recognised. I would like to thank the MIDAS Network for this recognition, and to our Stonegate teams, as well as our valued guests, for their support. I will continue to be committed to delivering exceptional dining experiences across the estate and thank everyone involved for the appreciation!”
The MIDAS winners, along with a representative from the category sponsor, will enjoy the MIDAS Network’s five-day research and insight tour of Miami in May 2024.
For more information, please contact Leisure PR.
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