Ambiente Awards 2024
The year of 2023 – a year that tested the hospitality industry like never before. Yet, in the face of challenges, our teams not only weathered the storm but emerged and showed us what it really means to be a part of Team Ambiente. Although, the real battle was our restaurants going head to head every week, sparking a bit of friendly competition.
The team at Tabanco By Ambiente
After a year of our fantastic teams giving their all, the moment we've all been waiting for finally arrived – it was time for our internal Ambiente Awards night! Each year, we close our five restaurants & get everyone together so we can present an array of awards, ranging from Team of the Year to Outstanding Customer service. After all, we wouldn’t be Ambiente without our amazing staff, so the least we can do is get everyone together for a night of fun & appreciation. Now onto the award winners…
Our Team of the Year was very worthy of the title; Tabanco By Ambiente. They have consistently raised the bar for outstanding customer service with members of the team really going above and beyond to make our customers experience the best it can be. Which is clear through how many awards Team Tabanco took home: With Jim Barber winning Restaurant Manager of the year; Assistant Manager, Mihail-Danut Pascu, taking home Outstanding Customer Service and Head Chef James Lees bagging Best Newcomer!
Lynsey Noble of Ambiente Tapas
But they didn’t manage to take home Head Chef of the Year! Prep extraordinaire Lynsey Noble was our winner & no one was more deserving than her. Not only is she effective at managing and leading her team, she's created an efficient environment where her strong leadership skills motivate and guide her lovely team! There's no wonder that everything that comes out of her kitchen is of the highest standard and super tasty!
However, it’s Ambiente Leeds who bagged Restaurant of the Year and it’s clear why, with another abundance of awards being taken home by our Leeds crew. Starting with Assistant Manager, Jordan Bate, winning Manager of the Year! Another award presented to them was Chef of the Year, which Leeds’ prep expert Alexandra Paius took home. She clearly has had a great influence on the team in the kitchen, as Pema Yangzom won Transfer of the Season, after joining from our Goodramgate restaurant.
The team at Ambiente Tapas Leeds.
Whilst our awards mainly highlight all the great things our teams have achieved this year, we had a few fun ones in store for them too! Like our Back from the Dead award, which is presented to someone who has left Ambiente, only to make a miraculous return. This year’s winner was Bruno Rocha, who worked as Head Chef at Ambiente Hull for 5 years, went on to continue his cooking journey, only to end up back where he belongs in Hull’s kitchen!
Overall, we had a great time celebrating our teams’ amazing achievements and contributions. Here's to continued success and many more memorable moments in the future! Cheers to Team Ambiente!