Northcote’s Craig Bancroft invited into academy of food & wine’s 2010 hall of fame

The Restaurant Manager of the Year gala dinner saw the crème de la crème of the industry invited to join the Academy of Food & Wine’s Restaurant Manager Hall of Fame. Northcote’s very own Craig Bancroft was awarded the honour at this year’s awards.

“It’s clearly a wonderful honour to join the much coveted Hall of Fame, and I am thrilled to have received the invitation. My restaurant, Northcote, which I own and run with Chef Nigel Haworth, is as exciting a project for me now as it ever has been. We are refurbishing the restaurant this summer and I look forward to a fantastic relaunch later in the year”

In wonderful company, Craig was joined by Alain Desenclos of Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons; Jean Claude Bretonne, restaurant manager at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay; Sergio Rebecci, director, Chez Nico Restaurants; Didier Garner, proprietor, Le Colombier Restaurant, London; Craig Bancroft, joint managing director, Northcote Group, Lancashire; and Peter Avis, restaurant manager, Babylon Restaurant, London, the 2009 Restaurant Manager of the Year.

They join the inaugural awardees Elena Salvoni of Elena’s L’Etoile; Silvano Giraldin, formerly of Le Gavroche; Jesus Adorno, director and maitre d’ of Le Caprice; Diego Masciaga, restaurant manager, Waterside Inn, Bray; and David Morgan-Hewitt, managing director of The Goring, London.

Craig who is joint Managing Director at Northcote, was born in Lancashire, trained as a Trusthouse Forte Trainee, covering five star properties, including Plaza Athenee - Paris, Browns, Westbury and Grosvenor House - London to mention but a few.

Craig was appointed General manager of Northcote Manor in 1983. and was awarded an Acorn Award by the Caterer & Hotelkeeper in 1989 as one of the thirty most promising under thirties in the industry.