On Monday night my client The Nth Degree Global joined together with UKHospitality to hold the star-studded, glitzy annual Restaurant Association Gala Dinner. Held at The Savoy overlooking The Thames, this is one of the highlights in the hospitality calendar.

I’ve been handling the marketing for them for a couple of years now including last year where the Roux family took home the award for Services to Hospitality. For this years event, we’ve been working on this since January so it was eight short weeks from planning to the ceremony itself which included 300 guests and over 30 partners.

I was super excited to debut my new floor length and floral Giambattista Valli x H&M dress which I teamed with my favourite Valentine Rock Stud Shoes. They are pale pink and lilac with a kitten heel and I always wear shoes I can run round in at events like these! I went for a Smooth Wavy blow dry at Hershesons so it would last the whole night (and it does last a few days).

On the night, which was a dry and clear night (thank the Lord), we were delighted to be joined by celebrity chefs including a Ready Steady Cook reunion with Brian Turner CBE, James Martin, Ainsley Harriott MBE and Anthony Worrell Thompson.

VIPs included a very sparkly Lisa Snowdon wearing Temperley London (who I interviewed a few years ago for DONNA IDA), gastropub co-owner Jodie Kidd, CNN presenter Amanda Davies, stylists Angela Radcliffe and Caroline Sciamma plus Hello editor in chief Rosie Nixon, Chris Gamm editor of The Caterer, our media partner Tatler and Vicky Jessop from The Times.

It was an emotional night for Brian Turner CBE who was presented with the Restaurant Association award for Services to Hospitality by his old friend James Martin which was designed and created by Sarah Fabergé and Joey Richardson.

Brian Turner CBE said: “It has just been such an exciting night and what a privilege to hold this award. I hold this award for lots of people, it is all about the hospitality industry and looking after people with food and drink. I’ve had such a good time in the industry and I can’t tell you how lucky I’ve been. Thank you to everyone at the Restaurant Association for the award for Services to Hospitality and to my friend James for coming to present it.”

James Martin said: “If anybody knows service, it’s Brian. I actually first met Brian Turner when I was nine years old in a kitchen. Brian was doing a dinner at a place called The Mallyan Spout in Goathland. As a young nine year old chef, keen as mustard, with a brand new starch jacket on, that’s when I walked into a professional kitchen for the very first time. He’s taught me a lot about life ever since then and he deserves this award for Services to Hospitality big time.”

Also spotted on stage were our Young Chef Young Waiter winners Richard Henderson and Alessandro Calzavacca as it was announced that the competition would be moving to Dubai later this year. The awards for Young Chef Young Waiter 2020 will be held in the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai in November, in partnership with the Department for International Trade.

The event raised £25,000 for Hospitality Action through a Heads or Tails competition run by the Cayman Islands and an auction run by Brian Turner CBE.

Take a look on The Nth Degree Global https://www.thenthdegreeclub.com website or social media for more on this incredible event and how to get involved next year!

Photos by Paul Griffiths Photography https://www.paulgriffithsphotography.com