TORONTO — Kostuch Media Ltd., publisher of industry magazines Foodservice and Hospitality and Hotelier, has unveiled the 2023 winners of its prestigious Pinnacle Awards. This year marks the 34th edition of the “Oscars of the industry.”
F&H’s Company of the Year honours go to Osmow’s Shawarma, while Sunray Group has been named Hotelier’s Company of the Year.
Other category winners for Foodservice and Hospitality include Toronto-based Libretto Restaurant Group for Regional Company of the Year; Jordon Station, Ont.-based Restaurant Pearl Morissette for Independent Restaurateur of the Year; Vancouver-based Andrea Carlson for Chef of the Year; and Maple Leaf Foods for Supplier of the Year.
On the hotel side, this year’s Regional Company of the Year is Alberta-based Basecamp Resorts. Hotelier of the Year honours go to the Sheraton Centre Toronto GM Tim Reardon, while the Supplier of the Year award for Hotelier magazine is being presented to Nespresso Canada.
Winner’s Circle
Company of the Year, Osmow’s has revolutionized the Shawarma category. By bringing a modern spin to traditional recipes and leveraging North-American favourites but with a Mediterranean spin, the family-owned company was able to capture the attention of consumers and build a cult-like following. In fact, as of June 2023, Osmow’s sales have reached $47.8 million, representing a remarkable increase of $9 million compared to the same period last year of $38.8 million.
This year’s Regional Company of the Year, Libretto Restaurant Group, is best known for bringing authentic Neapolitan pizza to Toronto and was one of the first restaurants in Toronto to serve VPN- certified (Vera Pizza Napoletana) pizza within the strict guidelines laid out by the government of Naples. Now in its 15th year of operation, Libretto Restaurant Group has expanded to five locations in the GTA and evolved its menus to include new ingredients and cooking styles under the guidance of executive chef Rocco Agostino and his business partner Max Rimaldi. The duo also owns Enoteca Sociale, and opened its newest restaurant on King St. this past June.
Independent Restaurateur winner Restaurant Pearl Morissette is no stranger to recognition. The Jordon Station, Ont. restaurant has received a great deal of attention since it opened in 2017 for its holistic approach of regenerative practices and processes and its commitment to new and better operational systems for restaurants. With co-chefs and co-owners Eric Robertson and Daniel Hadida at the helm, Restaurant Pearl Morissette is continuing to make its mark on the Canadian culinary landscape.
Chef Andrea Carlson’s restaurant, Burdock & Co., was awarded a Michelin Star in October 2022, making it the first restaurant owned and operated by a female chef to receive a Michelin Star in Canada. Based in Vancouver, she is known for her practice of a 100-mile diet and incorporation of local, organic ingredients.
Our suppler of the year, Maple Leaf Foods, is on a journey to become the most sustainable protein company – not just in Canada – but on earth. A carbon-neutral company, Maple Leaf Foods is one of the only food companies in Canada to set science-based targets, with the goal of reducing their environmental footprint by 50 per cent by 2025. It is also committed to building a company culture and work environment where all its employees feel valued, heard and represented.
On the hotel side, Toronto-based Company of the Year Sunray Group has had a stellar 2023, with 70 owned and managed companies in its Canadian portfolio. Sales this year reached $350 million according to Hotelier’s Top 35 Report, up from $258 million in 2022. Led by Rattan ‘Ray’ Gupta, Chairman, C.E.O. and founder of Sunray Group, and president/COO Kenny Gibson, Sunray Group is one of Canada’s fastest-growing hospitality and development companies.
Everyone loves an underdog and Sky McLean, founder and CEO of this year’s Regional Company of the Year, certainly had her share of challenges when starting Basecamp Resorts. The B.C. based company provides modern boutique hotels in locations across Alberta and B.C. and McLean has quickly built it into Western Canada’s fastest-growing hospitality brand. Currently, Basecamp Resorts runs seven modern mountain boutique hotel properties and six more locations are planned over the next three years.
This year’s Hotelier of the Year, Tim Reardon, added another feather to his cap earlier this year when the GM of the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel was named 2023 General Manager of the Year for the United States and Canada by Marriott International. The recognition came following a busy year as he led the hotel’s team through Sheraton’s recent re-positioning, while also serving as as Chair of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association.
And finally, our Supplier of the Year, Nespresso, recognizes that a good cup of coffee can make or break a hotel guest’s stay. The brand also knows that sustainability is top of mind for guests and hoteliers alike, which is why sustainable quality is the driving force in everything Nespresso does. Already in 2003, together with the Rainforest Alliance, it developed the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality Program — a sourcing system with the aim to deliver consistently high-quality coffee and create an ecologically and socially better environment for farmers. With the successful combination of coffees of the highest quality, a number of innovative coffee machines and exclusive, dedicated services, Nespresso developed a system that meets the special needs of hotel guests.
“Given the challenges of the past three years, it’s gratifying to see so many hospitality companies now rebounding, doing well and once again finding their footing,” says Rosanna Caira, editor/publisher of Foodservice and Hospitality and Hotelier magazines. “This year’s Pinnacle Award winners prove that resiliency and hard work, coupled with creativity and ingenuity are the common denominators in the formula to success.”
Since launching the first award in 1988, Foodservice and Hospitality has honoured a diverse group of leaders for their continued success and achievements, representing every facet of the industry, from upscale restaurants to quick-service chains. Each of this year’s winners are distinguished for their contributions to the image of the industry through civic, educational and community involvement, as well as their efforts in establishing innovative concepts in foodservice or hotel management. Past winners include George Cohon of McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada Ltd., The TDL Group and Starbucks Canada. Hotelier magazine’s first annual Hotelier of the Year award, representing similar achievement in the hotel industry, was presented to Four Seasons Hotels founder, Isadore Sharp.
To purchase tickets for this year’s Pinnacle Awards, please click here
For more information please contact: Rosanna Caira at [email protected]