Celebrating Excellence at Ambiente: A Look Back at Our Internal Awards Night

At Ambiente, we believe our team is the heart and soul of everything we do. From creating unforgettable dining experiences to going above and beyond behind the scenes, it’s their passion and dedication that make us who we are. So, in January, we hosted our annual Ambiente Awards, a celebration of our team’s hard work, creativity, and outstanding contributions throughout the year.

The evening was filled with laughter, fun and a healthy dose of competition as we recognised the achievements of our team across various categories. It was a chance to reflect on the past year and toast to the individuals and teams who have truly gone above and beyond to make everything we do happen.

Here are some highlights from the awards:

Shining Stars of the Night

Restaurant of the Year: Ambiente Leeds took home the prestigious title for its outstanding performance, setting the benchmark for excellence across all our locations
Head Chef of the Year: James Leeds, our Tabanco Head Chef, earned this accolade for leading with innovation
Restaurant Manager of the Year: Javi Gomez Lores, our Ambiente Leeds Restaurant Manager, whose leadership really elevated the dining experience for our guests
Chef of the Year: Bruno Rocha, Ambiente Hull, was celebrated for his skill and passion in the kitchen
Best Guest Experience: Tabanco by Ambiente stole the spotlight for consistently delivering the best guest experience with their passion, knowledge and expertise

Moments of Fun

We certainly didn’t take things too seriously with a few fun awards;

The Back from the Dead to Us Award was shared by Connor Pickering and Ehsan Nami Mollaie, recognising their return to tapas!
The Transfer of the Season award celebrated Cian Stancliffe and Pema Yangzom for seamlessly transitioning between our sites and thriving in their new roles and with their new teams
Our Best Newcomers, Lorna Gregory and Bijayashankar Shankar proved that fresh talent can make a big impact

Unwavering Dedication

Long Service Awards went to Juan Vicente Talens Noguera and Tomasz Manczak for their years of loyal tapas commitment
Outstanding Customer Service: Isabelle Tiernan embodied our ethos of warm hospitality, making our guest’s experiences second to none

We couldn’t close the night without recognizing our Bartender of the Year, Natasha Richardson, and our Social Media Champs, Fran Pearson and Holly Holderness, for their dynamic and engaging content that brings really showcases everything we do online

A Night to Remember

This event wasn’t just about awards; it was about coming together as a tapas familia to celebrate just how far we’ve come and celebrate our dedicated team who show up for us each and every day. Each winner represents the values we hold dear; passion, dedication and a relentless commitment to our guests.

We are immensely proud of every team member, not just those who took home awards, for making Ambiente a place where both our guests and staff feel at home. Here’s to another year of excellence!