Number One at The Balmoral's Emma Lonie takes home Hotel Restaurant Manager of the Year prize

She took home this award at a ceremony in London

Emma Lonie

We often celebrate chefs, and forget about the rest of the hard-working teams that keep any restaurant running.

However, now Number One at The Balmoral’s restaurant manager, Emma Lonie, has been recognized at one of the UK’s top front-of-house awards. She won Hotel Restaurant Manager of the Year at the Hotel Cateys 2021, which is run by the hospitality industry publication, The Caterer, and took place at a ceremony in London on November 19.

“It's a real honour to be recognised,” says Lonie. “I am extremely privileged to be part of Number One and The Balmoral, working with a dedicated and creative team who share my passion for food, wine, people and travel”.

Lonie has been at Edinburgh five-star hotel The Balmoral’s fine-dining restaurant Number One, which has one Michelin star, four AA Rosettes and won CIS Restaurant of the Year 2021, for 14 years. She’s worked alongside various executive and head chefs, from Jeff Bland, to Mark Donald, pastry chef, Ross Sneddon, and their most recent appointment, Mathew Sherry, who took over the kitchen earlier this year. She’s an integral part of the team, and her job involves more than administrative tasks.

“I oversee the entire front of house operations at Number One, working closely with head chef Mathew Sherry and head sommelier Damien Trinkquel. We strive to provide the ultimate dining experience through a seven-course menu showcasing our favourite seasonal produce,” Lonie says. “We work with an extensive collection of fine wines, over 350 by the bottle, over 20 by the glass and an extensive whisky collection too. We also liaise closely with all our suppliers to display the finest ingredients and share the story of our hotel, restaurant, seasonal produce and team through each menu and dining experience."

One other award was taken back to Scotland from this year’s Hotel Cateys. That was presented to Rosie Wilkins of another five-star hotel, The Torridon by Achnasheen in Wester Ross, who took home Front of House Manager of the Year 2021.Number One at The Balmoral, 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh, www.roccofortehotels.com

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