Edge Hotel graduate wins hospitality 'Oscar' at prestigious awards

A high-flying Essex graduate has received special recognition after claiming one of the hospitality industry’s equivalent of the Oscars.

Ellie Dimes won the coveted Restaurant Manager of the Year award at this year’s Hotel Catey Awards for her work at Lucknam Park, a luxurious hotel and spa in the Cotswolds.

Ellie, who studied Hotel Management at Edge Hotel School between 2014 and 2016, was recognised for her commitment to high standards of customer service, as well as inspiring her restaurant team to go above and beyond.

A delighted Ellie said: “I am so proud to have won a Catey for Best Restaurant Manager in the UK.

“It’s a great testament to the team at Lucknam Park and the highlight of my career that started just 8 years ago at the Edge Hotel School.

“I have such fond memories of study at Essex University and i hope this award shows Edge students what you can achieve in such a short space of time in this amazing industry".

The Catey Awards are seen as the most prestigious awards in the industry, with other winners on the night including the Ritz, London.

It rounds off a successful year for Edge Hotel School alumni, with three graduates also being named in the 30 best industry prospects under the age of 30 at the Hospitality Acorn awards.

Andrew Boer, Head of Department for Edge Hotel School and a previous winner of the Catey Education and Training Award, said: “We are delighted to receive the news that Ellie has been recognised with this well-deserved and prestigious award.

“It is the first Catey awarded to one of our alumni at Edge Hotel School although, given the national industry awards that many of our other alumni have recently achieved, I feel that there will be several more to come.

“Ellie is an exemplar of both the School’s ethos of industry-engaged education and how the Hospitality industry can harness and further develop graduates who have both educational and a passion and for our industry.

“My sincere congratulations to her and all her colleagues at the Lucknam Park.”