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Hospitality Guru Celebrates Success as Surrey Gastropub Scoops 3 AA Rosettes and Wine Award

A hospitality guru renowned for his success in helping household names like Gordon Ramsey, Heston Blumenthal and Danny Meyers build award-winning restaurant portfolios, has secured 3 AA Rosettes and an AA wine award for his own gastropub in Surrey within just 18 months of opening.

Having started his career in 1999 waiting for 5-star hotels, including The Ritz, London, Simon King has since carved a credible reputation within the hospitality industry, where he is renowned for his proven approach to Front-of-House operations.

The winner of ‘UK Young Waiter of the Year’ in 2000 and listed as part of The Caterer’s prestigious ‘Top 30 under 30’ in 2002, Simon boasts a string of impressive achievements within the hospitality sector.

These range from opening the Savoy Grill with Gordon Ramsay and Marcu Wareing in 2003 and launching Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in the Mandarin Oriental in 2011, to relocating to New York in 2014 to work for Danny Meyers Union Square Hospitality Group as General Manager of the flag ship restaurant The Modern, where he led the team to achieve their second Michelin Star.

Discussing his latest achievements, Simon King said:
“Over the last few years I have worked incredibly hard to launch and develop both Igniting Hospitality and The Victoria Oxshott, so to reap the reward of helping other establishments improve customer experience and drive growth, while being awarded not one but three AA rosettes is just amazing.

This, of course, would not be possible without the help and support of my growing team for which I am very grateful. I now look forward to grabbing 2023 by the horns, working through the challenges felt across the industry and ensuring that The Victoria and my own clients come out stronger as a result.”