Head chef at Belfast restaurant A Peculiar Tea is the only Northern Irish person to have been recognised for a UK-wide hospitality award.
The Staff Canteen is the UK's leading networking website for chefs and their annual awards focus on "hospitality celebrating hospitality".
Gemma Austin has been nominated as 'One to Watch' at the 2022 awards. This award celebrates the industry’s up-and-coming talent and the description of the award reads it is "the people you think are going to be the next hospitality superstars".
Read more: Pub and Restaurant of the year for 2022 named at NI awards
The Staff Canteen described Gemma as "one of Northern Ireland’s most talented up and comers".
They said: "A two-time Great British Menu contestant with a serious talent for pastry. She has enlightened the Northern Ireland food scene with an innovative take on the traditional taster menu with themes that invigorate the senses and imagination."
Taking to social media, A Peculiar Tea celebrated the success of its head chef and asked its customers to get behind her and vote for her to take the top spot.
A post on their Facebook page read: "Folks, our Chief Gemma Austin has been nominated for 'One to Watch' at this year's Staff Canteen Awards in the UK.
"She is the only Northern Irish nomination and is alongside the likes of Gordon Ramsey's Head Chef and the Head Chef of Ynyshir so it's an incredible accolade to be considered for!"
For more about the awards, see here.
READ NEXT:
Lisburn restaurant only venue in NI nominated for UK wide hospitality award
Belfast Indian restaurant named best in NI at prestigious awards
Chinese restaurant named best in NI at Golden Chopsticks Awards
Belfast restaurant ranked in Trip Advisor's Top 10 Hidden Gems in the UK
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
