Opus general manager wins top hospitality award

A RESTAURANT general manager was given a top award for leisure and hospitality at the Future Faces annual dinner and awards 2015.

Pawel Skrzypinski, who works at the city centre restaurant Opus at Cornwall Street, has been awarded the ‘Future Face Leisure and Hospitality’ award by the Future Faces networking forum, an award that recognises those employees who are committed to developing careers, whilst showing outstanding qualities that make them one of the best in their field.

Skrzypinski, who has worked at Opus at Cornwall Street for three-and-a-half-years years, received the award due to his customer service skills, enthusiastic can-do attitude and inspiring leadership.

He began working at Opus as a waiter.

He said: “I had no idea that Ann and Irene, the restaurant directors at Opus, had put me forward for this award so it was a surprise when I received my nomination, and now an even bigger surprise that I’ve won.

“Since working at Opus, I have honed my skills as a leader, helping staff develop their skills and careers and I want to continue providing exceptional service to make the Opus brand more recognisable nationally.”

The Future Faces awards took place at Edgbaston Stadium.

The heat is on at Brindleyplace 

THE annual Birmingham Chilli Festival is returning to Brindleyplace, giving supporters of all things spicy a chance to indulge themselves in a variety of chilli-themed stalls and entertainment.

Marking the fifth year of this fiery fiesta, the Chilli Festival will take place in Brindleyplace’s Central Square on Saturday (September 19), from 11am to 7pm.

Free to enter, the festival includes a variety of live music and street performances, alongside a range of food stalls selling chilli-influenced street food and an array of spicy sauces and ingredients for chilli fans to enhance their home cooking. 

The event also includes the popular chilli eating competition which will start at 3pm and will pit 20 brave participants against some of the world’s hottest chillies as they compete to be crowned Birmingham’s Chilli King or Queen.

Alex Perrins, marketing executive at Brindleyplace, said: “The Chilli Festival is one of the most hotly anticipated events in our calendar, with something for anyone who likes a little bit of spice.”

A hot summer for Pushkar on the awards front

BIRMINGHAM fine dining Indian restaurant Pushkar is celebrating a 2015 English Curry Award and a Diners’ Choice Award, as well as being selected to represent Birmingham as the Curry Capital of Britain during National Curry Week 2015.

Pushkar was announced as one of the four shortlisted restaurants who were voted to represent Birmingham as the Curry Capital of Britain during National Curry Week 2015 (October 12-18) where Pushkar will showcase its signature dish.

OpenTable’s diners have selected Pushkar for a 2015 OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award for three consecutive months since July. The Diners’ Choice Award is designed to celebrate top-rated restaurants, and winners are selected according to real feedback from diners who booked through OpenTable and dined with Pushkar.

And at the 2015 English Curry Awards in Manchester it received the award for Team/Service of the Year in the West Midlands.