Open to individuals who work in outlets supplied by Bidfood and are involved in the preparation or serving of food and drink, the campaign will see six winners – one from each of the following categories: hospitals, care homes, restaurants, pubs and pub restaurants, hotels, other - treated to a Christmas dinner (in January) as well as a Virgin Experience Day voucher.
The campaign comes as figures from The Trade Union Congress (TUC) reveal that there are around 42,000 chefs, 22,000 kitchen assistants, 15,000 waiting staff and 13,000 bar staff working in hotels, pubs and restaurants on Christmas Day.
To enter, Bidfood customers must nominate staff working either this or last Christmas and/ or Boxing Day, who go the extra mile to make it a special time for others. The panel of five industry expert judges, including Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive at the British Hospitality Association; Andy Jones, chair of the Public Sector 100 Group and Bidfood’s group sales and marketing director, Andy Kemp, will then announce the winners 1 December.
Kemp said: “We know our industry works hard to make Christmas special for everyone in the UK, with thousands giving up family time in the lead up, and often on Christmas Day itself. We want to hear about some of the standout individuals in our industry and thank them for their contribution.
“There is definitely a growing emphasis on our sector to play a bigger role in people’s Christmas celebrations. Bookings for Christmas Day dinner have gone up 241% since 2011 alone, which highlights the importance of recognising and rewarding our diverse and skilled workforce, and ensuring that working in our industry is an attractive career path for younger generations.”
Nomiations are open from Monday 16 October to Friday 10 November and can be made online at http://www.bidfood.co.uk/bidfood-christmas-gift/.