Lights, Camera, Action! North West Design Centre hosts Hi-Life Best Chef Cook-Off!

150 150 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

A Best Chef Hi-Life Award is an accolade that is respected UK-wide and attracts entries from the crème de la crème of the industry. This time for the first year the event took place in the recently launched specialist theatre kitchen at Dawnvale’s North West Design Centre located in Hollinwood, Greater Manchester. Four of the five finalists were filmed so that those attending the prestigious Hi-Life Awards Dinner taking place at The Midland Hotel on Friday 3rd February can see the chefs and judges in action as well as the outstanding food they prepared on the day. Unfortunately, Nigel Smith from The Villa in Lancashire was unable to attend the event due to a prior engagement.

Judges for the Cook-Off included: Matthew Norman, The Daily Telegraph’s Food Critic, Elizabeth Carter, Editor of the Good Food Guide and Denise Jones, a Hi-Life member and Manager of the North West Design Centre. Chefs prepared one dish in a timed environment and presented them individually to the three judges in the Boardroom.

The North West Design Centre was chosen not just for its superlative facilities and equipment but also its close proximity to the motorway network – less than five minutes from the M60.

The five shortlisted chefs were;

Christopher Cleghorn, ABode Chester.
Phil Fanning, Paris House.
Tom van Zeller, van Zeller Restaurant.
Enzo Mauro, Stock Restaurant.
Nigel Smith, The Villa (not present)

The winner will not be announced until the awards night which will be held at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.

Hi-Life currently has over 3,500 restaurant partners throughout the UK and over 200,000 members of their Club including Platinum Members all of whom enjoy 2 for 1 dining on an annual basis.

This year the event will be raising funds for the Five Stars Appeal.

There are still a small number of tickets to the event available – costing £75 each they include a champagne reception, four-course meal and fabulous entertainment. Tickets can be obtained by e-mailing awards@hi-life.co.uk or call Stacy on 01253 608910.

Daniel Fountain / 28.01.2012

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.