Maria Vanifatova
Maria Vanifatova is the CEO and founder of Meaningful Vision, a competitor intelligence platform providing insights into consumer traffic, menus, pricing, promotions, and location openings and closures across the foodservice industry. The platform helps businesses in the UK and Europe make confident, data-driven decisions in a fast-moving market.
Maria has 25 years of international experience in consultancy, market research, and data analytics across retail, consumer markets, and foodservice. She has held senior executive roles in global research organisations and holds a PhD in Knowledge Management, reflecting her passion for turning complex data into practical, actionable insights.
Freddie Cobb
Freddie is Head of Drinks at Vagabond Wines, where he leads the drinks program across the company’s growing collection of London wine bars. He oversees the development of Vagabond’s complete drinks range, selecting products that combine quality, innovation, commercial relevance and a strong customer experience.
Freddie’s career has spanned vineyards, wineries, importers and drinks buying, giving him a comprehensive understanding of how beverages move from production to the consumer as well as heading up Ontrade Wine Buying team of the Year (2024 & 2026) and award winning Vagabond Urban Winery.
Tom James
Tom has been working in hospitality for over thirty years since his first job collecting glasses in his local pub. He went on to be a senior manager for Henry J Beans, Revolution and two independent restaurants in Jersey and Bristol.
For the last 15 years he’s been a senior director of a wide variety of businesses including Jamie’s Italian, Coppa Club and Harbour Hotels.
He joined Bill’s in October 2021 as Group Operations Director, and had been Managing Director of the well loved all day casual dining concept for the past two years. With his management team, Bill’s has gone on to deliver record sales, Double Ebitda from 2022 to 2024 and made a return to the expansion trail with has seen the estate grow to 50 sites with the opening of Heathrow Terminal 2 in summer 2026.
John Hutson
Biography: John Hutson, Chief Executive of JD Wetherspoon
John was born in July 1965 and is a graduate of Exeter University (1983-1986) and City University (1986-1987). He began his hospitality career with Taylor Walker, then part of Allied Domecq, as an area manager in London. He joined Wetherspoon in 1991, when the company operated around 20 pubs. He became Operations Director in 1994 and was appointed to the Board in 1996. He was appointed Managing Director in 1997 and has been Chief Executive since 2004. John is married to Susan and has three children.
Seamus O'Donnell
Seamus O’Donnell, Culinary Director of The Alchemist Bar & Restaurants , A Cocktail Bar who are masters in the dark arts of molecular mixology and demons in the kitchen dispensing the most creative cocktails and delicious all day dining offer with a twist serving up to their customers “Theatre Served”.
Seamus has recently received Executive Chef Of The Year awards from FEJ in 2020 & 2023 alongside multiple awards with his team for Menu Innovation via FEJ , Midas , Late night Dining to name a few. The Alchemist also run their own Culinary Competition on yearly basis where their chefs get to compete for Prizes that include Michelin Star Dining experiences but most importantly the Bragging Rights for the year!
The Kitchens Breathes his philosophy of “Trust , Honesty ,Reliability & Respect” which has proven successful through the years as he leads 200 + Chefs covering 22 sites in the UK and 1 site In Berlin .
“Knowledge is King and Education is the best way to facilitate change” has been a key part of the DNA of The Alchemist Kitchens by incorporating Farm Visits for both Chefs, Management and Servers so they can use this information to shape menus moving forwards.
Seamus is no stranger to people management, and understands first-hand what the every-day challenges of chefs are and the pressures that face the supply chain which has led him to have built strong relationships with his suppliers. His gentlemanly approach, impressive full-circle knowledge are what makes him so widely admired across the industry.
Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL
Professor Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL is one of the United Kingdom’s most celebrated and influential chefs, restaurateurs, authors, educators, and hospitality ambassadors. Widely recognised for his pioneering contribution to Indian cuisine in Britain, he has spent more than four decades championing authentic regional Indian cooking while inspiring generations of hospitality professionals through his commitment to education, training, and mentorship.
Born in Mumbai, India, into a Parsi family, Cyrus studied at Sophia Polytechnic College before embarking on a professional culinary career. He trained at the prestigious Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, part of the renowned Taj Group of Hotels, where he developed a strong foundation in both Indian and international cuisine.
His talent, dedication, and leadership saw him rise through the ranks of the Taj Group to become Executive Chef overseeing all three Taj properties in Goa, a remarkable achievement that established him as one of India’s leading culinary professionals.
In the early 1990s, Cyrus moved to the United Kingdom and, in 1995, founded Café Spice Namasté in London. The restaurant quickly gained acclaim for its bold, authentic regional Indian cuisine, moving beyond conventional perceptions of Indian food and introducing diners to the diversity and richness of India’s culinary heritage. Since its inception, Café Spice Namasté has become one of the UK’s most respected Indian restaurants and has enjoyed long-standing recognition from the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand, reflecting its consistent excellence, quality, and value.
Cyrus is renowned for his distinctive culinary style, blending authentic regional Indian flavours, Parsi influences, traditional techniques, and contemporary innovation. His unique approach to cooking has earned him widespread acclaim both in the UK and internationally. As a result of his reputation for culinary excellence, he has had the honour of cooking for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, members of the Royal Family, numerous heads of state, international dignitaries, and distinguished guests from around the world.
Beyond his achievements as a chef and restaurateur, Professor Todiwala is recognised as one of the hospitality industry’s most passionate advocates for education, training, apprenticeships, and skills development. Throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly to support colleges, universities, professional bodies, and employers in developing future generations of chefs and hospitality professionals.
One of his most significant contributions to hospitality education is the creation of Zest Quest Asia, the prestigious student competition that provides hospitality students with unique opportunities to learn about Asian cuisine, culture, and hospitality. Since its launch, Zest Quest Asia has become one of the industry’s most respected educational initiatives, inspiring and nurturing future culinary talent.
A familiar face on television, Cyrus has appeared regularly on programmes including Saturday Kitchen and co-presented the BBC series The Incredible Spice Men alongside Tony Singh, helping to bring Indian cuisine to a wider audience.
Professor Todiwala is also an accomplished author whose books have introduced countless readers to the flavours and techniques of Indian cooking. His publications include:
• Café Spice Namasté Cookbook
• The Incredible Spice Men (with Tony Singh)
• Simple Spice /Mr Todiwalas Spice Box
• Simple Spice Vegetarian
• Mr Todiwala’s Bombay
• Indian Summer
• Modern Indian: 70 Everyday Recipes (2024)
In addition to his restaurants and books, he has developed a range of food products inspired by traditional Indian flavours and culinary heritage, including pickles, chutneys, sauces, and spice blends.
Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Cyrus Todiwala has received numerous national and international awards and honours in recognition of his culinary excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, educational work, and services to hospitality. His distinctions include being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the hospitality industry, serving as Deputy Lieutenant (DL) of Greater London, receiving multiple honorary doctorates, and being recognised with the Indian Restaurant Association Award for Culinary Excellence. He is widely regarded as one of the most highly awarded and respected chefs in British hospitality.
Today, Professor Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL continues to be a leading force within the hospitality industry. Through his restaurants, books, television appearances, product ranges, charitable activities, educational initiatives, and tireless advocacy for training and professional development, he has become one of the foremost ambassadors of Indian cuisine in the United Kingdom and an enduring inspiration to hospitality professionals worldwide.
Atul Kochhar
Chef Atul Kochhar was the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star. He is an accomplished restaurateur who owns multiple acclaimed establishments across the UK, including Kanishka in London and Riwaz in Buckinghamshire. As author of six cookery books, Kochhar is also a respected TV personality who regularly appears on national and international TV, sharing his expertise in modern Indian cuisine with viewers nationwide.
Amanda Whiteside
Growing up with parents in hospitality and recipe development gave Amanda an ingrained understanding of the bar and restaurant industry. In 2009, she joined the senior management team at Court Pie Catering Ltd to review and improve operations at the then 120-year-old Gordon’s Wine Bar. Drawing on her academic and corporate experience, she brought a fresh perspective. Working with Simon Gordon, she helped shape a strategy for resilience and growth by adopting hospitality technologies, nurturing the core team’s talents, investing in staff development and building relationships to support operations in an increasingly challenging environment.