Margan Restaurant owner and hospitality powerhouse, Lisa Margan has been awarded the 2018 Professional Women in Foodservice Professional Leadership Award.
Her win was announced in Melbourne last week.
With just under 500 entries from around the country, the judging panel, made up of chef and television presenter Christine Manfield, columnist and Co-director of Australia’s Top Restaurants Jill Dupleix, and Editor of foodservice magazine Anita Connors, had its work cut out selecting the winners and finalists.
In addition to running Margan Wines and Restaurant in the Hunter Valley, Lisa is Vice Chair of the Hunter Culinary Association, a founding board member of the Sydney- based Women of Hospitality mentoring program, agri-dining pioneer and mentor and role model to many.
Created to recognise an often-overlooked sector of the industry, the Women in Foodservice Awards celebrate and champion the many driven, innovative and successful women disrupting the status quo and shaping the future of Australian foodservice and hospitality.
Lisa said she had been humbled just to be a finalist, “let alone to be the recipient of the award from amongst a country of amazing women in the industry doing incredible things”.
“But I am not a one-man band,” Lisa said.
“I have an incredible team who support our vision and work hard to deliver on that every day.”
Editor of foodservice magazine, Anita Connors said it was a thrill to see how the awards have grown.
“Foodservice founded the awards in 2017 as we felt that a significant section of the Australian foodservice and hospitality sector was perhaps not getting the recognition it deserved,” Anita said.
“It has been a privilege to learn about the many individual achievements of the women working in foodservice across Australia.
“Ours really is a rich and diverse industry, teeming with successful, dedicated and creative women who, through boldness and initiative, are building great businesses and shaping the future of the industry.
“And the Nestlé Professional Women in Foodservice Awards is a true celebration of this spirit.”
IMAGE | 2018 Professional Women in Foodservice Professional Leadership Award recipient, Lisa Margan.