00:05It's that time of year again, where the best in Kent's hospitality and food sectors get
00:10together to celebrate their success. Here at the Chilston Park Hotel near Lennam, celebrations
00:16are already underway.
00:19This year is the third year of the Food and Drink Awards by the KM, and this year saw
00:24a record-breaking number of people voting. The 36 independent businesses with the most
00:29votes are then invited to attend these awards, with one winner from each of the 12 categories
00:34picked by industry expert judges. The awards aim to celebrate those who work hard to enhance
00:40Kent's hospitality scene in the face of ever-increasing pressure on the sector. The awards were presented
00:46for the second year running by KMTV's very own Abbey Hook.
00:50Yeah, I mean the recognition is fantastic and you know we have to thank our clients for that,
00:54but I think most of all I'd like to say thanks to our staff, who are the main reason why
00:58we've
00:59been elected for this award, right?
01:00Yeah, absolutely.
01:01I try to do the Indian food, Indian way, the way Indian people eat back in India. So, and
01:08I have a very small team with my wife, my daughter and one more person. I do the same thing
01:13every
01:13day. I do the, my quality, my standard, I keep it up how much I can.
01:18I think it's quite easy, especially when you work in this industry, to get stuck behind your
01:22numbers and what other people seem to say. But when you know that it's the guests who come
01:27in all the time and the ones who are coming back and voting for us again for a second
01:30year, it's really an amazing experience.
01:33We just want to thank our customers, you know. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be
01:37here today. Thank the organisers for here. And our, you know, we've got a great team at
01:42Gialcili that, you know, are very motivated from our drivers to the chef, the front staff
01:47and everyone.
01:47I think the customer's everything. And then in today's market where you've got these large
01:51corporates that come in and they take up the high street and they displace a lot of local
01:56businesses for local businesses to come through that are customer driven, that get the support
02:00of the customers and deliver local products and services. You just can't beat it. You
02:04just can't beat it.
02:05With a new trophy to display in their business, the happy winners headed home, ready to crack
02:10on with yet another year of creating the best experiences for customers in the county.
02:15Chloe Brewster for KMTV in Lennam.
Comments