We’re proud to announce that the 2022 winner of the AYALA SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year Award is Lisa Goodwin-Allen.
Last night, in association with our friends at Champagne AYALA, we hosted a wonderful evening to celebrate exciting and inspiring female talent in the hospitality industry, where Goodwin-Allen was recognised for her outstanding achievements in the industry. The award ceremony was held at The Orchard Room at The Pem, which is the restaurant of last year’s winner Sally Abé.
This year, Goodwin-Allen was shortlisted along with over thirty other chefs, which included Glasgow’s Julie Lin (GaGa and Julie’s Kopitiam) and Chantelle Nicholson (Apricity). A worthy winner, Goodwin-Allen’s merits not only lie in the Michelin starred food she produces at Northcote, in Lancashire, but also in her sense of community. She’s an advocate for inclusion and works hard to actively inspire future generations to consider a career in kitchens, providing an incubator-style-space to foster upcoming talent.
Well-known for her modern British cookery, Goodwin-Allen is of course famous for her work at Northcote, where her seasonal, ingredient-led menus have helped her maintain the restaurant’s Michelin star. More recently, she’s also taken on overseeing the menu at The Stafford London's restaurant, The Game Bird.
We first launched the AYALA SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year Award in 2018 to celebrate the contribution women make in a mainly male-dominated industry. In 2017 the Office for National Statistics reported that just 17% of chef positions were taken by women.
Previous winners of the awards include Sally Abé as mentioned above, as well as Angela Harnett in 2018 and Skye Gyngell in 2019.
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Goodwin-Allen with last year's winner, Sally Abé
Commenting on the award, Hadrien Mouflard, Managing Director, Champagne AYALA said: “At Champagne AYALA, we are committed to excellence in everything we do, and as such, we are proud to be once again supporting the SquareMeal AYALA Female Chef of the Year Award, shining a light on the great work that these female chefs are undertaking both in their restaurant kitchens and within the wider community. It is with great pleasure that we present this award to Lisa Goodwin-Allen, who has made an outstanding contribution to the restaurant industry, not just through her work as chef patron at Northcote but also through her commitment to supporting future talent in the industry.”
Last night many famous faces gathered to celebrate Goodwin-Allen’s win, where guests were treated to Ayala Blanc de Blancs 2015 en magnum (nothing but the best, naturally) and canapes from the talented team at The Pem.
SquareMeal Head of Content Caroline Hendry added: “Lisa Goodwin-Allen was a front-runner for this year’s award from the very beginning. Lisa is well-respected in an industry notorious for being a high-pressure working environment, and her ability to create impeccable menus, nurture new talent and be a positive voice in the industry means we couldn’t imagine a better chef to honour at this year’s awards.”
Cover image: Some of the chefs at the 2022 awards. From left: Abby Lee, Jane Alty, Asma Khan, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Marguerite Keogh, Elizabeth Haigh, Sally Abé.
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