Congratulations to Steve Munkley, vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, who has been awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours list for services to the hospitality industry and to young people.
The award recognises a career defined by leadership, mentorship and a long-standing commitment to developing the next generation of chefs. As director of the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards, Steve has helped shape one of the industry’s most respected development programmes for chefs under 25, testing both practical and theoretical skills while opening doors to wider competition pathways.
A former chair of the Guild, Steve is also chef director of the International Salon Culinaire at HRC and spent 25 years as executive chef at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington before launching his own consultancy.
At a time when attracting, developing and retaining young talent remains one of hospitality’s biggest challenges, this recognition is thoroughly deserved.