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6 Questions with Our Ambassador, Lee Donkin
Welcome to our new Ambassador Series, which is all about getting to know the brilliant hospitality leaders who champion our community, act as a voice for the industry, and help us in shaping the future of HRC. We’re thrilled to have them at the table, sharing their insights, and sector knowledge.
This week, we’re sitting down with Lee Donkin, Managing Director at Cedabond to hear about his guilty-pleasure meals, industry picks, and big hopes for the year ahead.
1. Where is your favourite place to dine? And what is your go-to dish there? I am not a massive foodie, I’m pretty simple when it comes to food, a good steak and nice wine is my go to, and there is no better place than Goodman’s restaurant
2. What do you cook when no one is looking? Baking cakes isn’t just flour and eggs anymore, it’s edible art! One day I may make a lemon drizzle, or stacking a three tiered chocolate cake. I don’t bake anywhere as much as I used too though
3. What’s one thing you think every great hospitality venue should have? A strong clear identity, a well defined concept, consistency in brand design and a great personalable experience, with a sense of personality which makes a venue memorable
4. What trend or innovation in the hospitality industry are you most excited about right now? A tough one as the world is evolving so fast, AI is the most talked about but it’s not for me, nothing better than a personal touch. For me ‘sustainability and Green Hospitality’, renewable energy, waste reduction and sustainable sourcing, whilst bringing nature to hospitality, all impacted by the great people working in this industry
5. Which fellow industry professional would you like to share a drink with at HRC? This is easy for me, as a huge Tottenham fan it would be Mark Reynolds, talking about his rise in hospitality and of course football, getting the behinds the scenes story on Tottenham too!
6. Why should people make HRC part of their 2026 plans? People should make HRC part of their plans because it’s basically the one place where the entire hospitality shows up in real life. Suppliers, ideas, innovation, tastings, tech, talent, trends, the list goes on. It’s also a great place to meet your peers in the industry and catch up with all the latest news
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