We are thrilled to introduce the inaugural Restaurant Association Awards 2024

Adam Handling MBE is the Michelin-starred Chef Owner of the Adam Handling Collection, operating venues across the UK, and is fast becoming one of the best-known chefs in the country. He is passionate about British food, sustainability, and fighting food waste. Using produce from British suppliers, Adam’s beautifully presented dishes start with careful sourcing of top quality, seasonal ingredients, prepared in a number of creative ways to bring their true flavour to life. Adam has many awards under his belt, having earnt his first Michelin star at his flagship restaurant, Frog by Adam Handling, and a Michelin Bib Gourmand at his pub, The Loch & The Tyne. In 2022, Adam was announced as an Ambassador for the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland campaign and was chosen to create an official recipe for the King’s Coronation, for which he presented his Strawberry and Ginger Trifle which was made at coronation celebrations across the UK. Adam has made numerous global television appearances including Saturday Kitchen Live, The One Show and judging on Top Chef, MasterChef and MasterChef: The Professionals and in 2023 was named BBC’s Great British Menu’s Champion of Champions. He has authored four books, including a recently published trilogy.

Ching-He Huang MBE is an International Emmy nominated, Award winning TV chef & cookery author who has become an ambassador of Chinese cooking around the world. Ching received an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020 list, for services to The Culinary Arts.

Born in Taiwan, raised in South Africa and U.K., cookery was a vital connection between Ching and her Chinese heritage. Her early memories were making ‘Zong Zi’ on her grandmother’s knee in Southern Taiwan. Her creative food ethos is ‘minimum fuss, maximum flavour’ using the freshest, organic, and ethically sourced ingredients to create modern dishes with Chinese heritage, fusing tradition and innovation. All dishes have a ‘Ching Spin’.

Ching has a down to earth approach and is a respected authority in Chinese cuisine. Ching first appeared on UK television on Great Food Live, then went on to land her first TV show ‘Ching’s Kitchen’. In 2008, Ching landed her Primetime TV Show on BBC, ‘Ching Food Made Easy’, it opened to over 2.5 million viewers and her book was number 1 on UK non-fiction chart for consecutive 6 weeks. Ching has fronted a total of 11 TV shows, broadcast into over 100m homes around the world in USA, UK, Europe, EMEA, Asia and Australia. Ching’s shows include ‘Chinese Food in Minutes’, ‘Easy Chinese: San Francisco’, ‘Easy Chinese: New York and L.A.’, ‘Restaurant Redemption’, ‘Eat the Nation’, ‘The Big Eat’, ‘Ching’s Amazing Asia’ and ‘Exploring China’. Ching was nominated for an Emmy nomination for her TV Show ‘Easy Chinese: New York and L.A.’

Ching’s career in the media as a TV chef and author has spanned the last two decades, transforming people’s perceptions of Chinese food over this time by keeping it fresh, popular, and engaged. She works tirelessly to promote Chinese cuisine through her TV shows, books, wok range and involvement in many high-profile campaigns and causes. Ching is also a regular on BBC1’s ‘Saturday Kitchen’. Has appeared on popular cooking segments on ‘This Morning’, ‘Sunday Brunch’ and ‘Lorraine’.

Ching has also appeared in many popular TV shows from ‘Celebrity Mastermind’, ‘Celebrity Antiques Road Trip’, ‘University Challenge’, ‘Celebrity Eggheads’ and ‘Pointless Celebrities’.

Ching is also an award-winning cookery author, having published eleven best-selling cookbooks to date which have been published in several languages around the world with popular classics like ‘Chinese Food Made Easy’, ‘Ching’s Fast Food’, ‘Eat Clean’, ‘Exploring China’, ‘Stir Crazy’, ‘Wok On’, ‘Asian Green’. Ching’s most recent book, ‘Wok For Less’ was published by Kyle Books, Hachette in January 2024.

Ching is an entrepreneur, businesswoman and has consulted on many levels, from family-owned restaurants to international corporations and hotels in hospitality, often working with brands to execute successful media and business campaigns. Ching has her online masterclass at www.chinghehuang.com which aims to teach people how to cook Chinese cuisine.

From 2020 – 2022 Ching was the Chairwoman for World Young Chef Young Waiter, South East Asia. Launched in 1979, the U.K. competition promotes hospitality as a career and is open to all chefs under the age of 28 years old. Ching is passionate about creating a legacy for future young chefs.

Ching is passionate about story-telling, and breaking bread over food. Ching is a humanitarian, lover of animals, and is an ambassador for the youth homeless charity, Centrepoint and is a big supporter of NGO TZU Chi Buddhist Foundation.

Follow Ching @chinghehuang across all social media platforms.

Dipna Anand is a Celebrity Chef who co-owns the famous ‘Brilliant Restaurant’ in Southall and has a restaurant in Milton Keynes at Unity Place, specialising in Punjabi cuisine with a few South Indian favourites, showcasing some of her grandfather’s recipe dating back to 65 years. Author of the ‘Beyond Brilliant’, ‘Dip in Brilliant’ and ‘Dipliciously Brilliant’ recipe books, Dipna guest lectures at The University of West London in the subject of Indian cooking and also runs her own School of Indian Cookery in West London. Dipna carries out food demos, pop-up chef events and is currently on a mission to teach the nation how to cook ‘real Indian Food’ with her TV show Dip In Kitchen as well as frequent appearances on James Martin’s Saturday Morning. Working alongside the Compass group as brand chef for their Punjabi food range, Dipna is now on the brink of creating her own ready meal range and special masala spices. The chef’s Brilliant Punjabi food range is available at selected events with Wembley OVO Arena, The O2, The ExCel London, Twickenham Rugby Stadium and Chelsea FC to name but a few. Her new curry trucks, under her Brilliant Punjabi brand can be seen at sporting events up and down the country where Dipna’s magic masala fries and butter chicken and pilau rice are creating a buzz with the crowds.

Originally from Reading, Matt began his culinary journey at just 15, working in the Michelin-starred kitchen of L’Ortolan. He pursued a specialized chef’s scholarship at Bournemouth and Poole College, which led to an apprenticeship at one of London’s top hotels, The Dorchester. There, he refined his skills in its renowned restaurants, including the prestigious three-Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse.

After several years in top London kitchens, Matt embraced a new challenge by competing on MasterChef: The Professionals. Matt had huge success on the BBC show which earned him the position of runner-up.

In 2020, Matt launched Maison François, which quickly garnered critical acclaim and multiple awards. Building on this success, the brand expanded with a second venture, Café François, which opened in 2024. Alongside the thriving restaurants, Matt has cultivated a social media following of over 2 million people, where he shares engaging videos showcasing classic French recipes.

Simon’s career started at Amberley Castle, a Small Luxury House hotel. After completing his HND in Hospitality Management, he moved to London. While working at The Ritz he won ‘Young Waiter of the Year’ 2000’. In 2001 Simon joined Gordon Ramsay, managing his flagship restaurant at Royal Hospital Road and opened the Savoy Grill with Marcus Wareing. He worked with Heston Blumenthal as Operations Manager for the Fat Duck Group on projects including the launch of Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental. In October 2014 moved to New York, working for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, managing the Modern. March 2018 saw Simon return to London as Operations Director for JKS, overseeing their 16 sites. In 2020 Simon launched Igniting Hospitality which supported established and launching new business through the pandemic and beyond. Simon has now returned to London as The Operations Director for iconic The Wolseley Hospitality Group.