Emma Woods, Kavi Thakrar and Shamil Thakrar join a very special group of industry leaders who have made positive and lasting contributions to hospitality over the course of their careers (see below for full list). They received their Awards on Monday 18 November 2024 at a special dinner, following the Peach 20/20 Leaders Summit at Convene Sancroft in the City of London.

Emma Woods has guided some of casual dining’s best-known brands. Starting in marketing at Unilever, she moved into the out-of-home eating sector in 2008 as PizzaExpress’ group marketing director. After time at Merlin Entertainments she was chief growth officer then CEO at Wagamama, steering the business through rapid growth, a pandemic and integration with The Restaurant Group. She now puts her wealth of leadership and marketing experience to use as chair of Tortilla and is a chair and non-executive director at more businesses including Ancient & Brave and Great Portland Estate.

Presenting the ICON Award, UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls said: “Emma is a true Icon for the industry. She’s a progressive thinker, a champion for inclusivity and diversity, an energetic advocate for more women on boards, an enthusiastic supporter of environmental causes and a campaigner on mental health—and she’s great company too.”

Kavi Thakrar and Shamil Thakrar were new to the world of hospitality when they opened the first Dishoom site in Covent Garden in 2010. Modelled on the Irani cafes of Bombay in the 1960s, it has become a phenomenally successful brand with ten UK restaurants that are often packed from breakfast through to late night, plus a fledgling Permit Room bar-café concept and an online store. They have made Dishoom renowned for its care of staff as well as customers, and are now leading international as well as domestic growth.

The pair received their ICON Award from Hawksmoor co-founder and CEO Will Beckett, who said: “Kavi and Shamil are founders of one of the most respected restaurant businesses in the UK and beyond. They’ve built an incredible brand and become a byword for running a business with integrity. Wherever they open the anticipation is off the charts, and they’ve achieved all they have with great thoughtfulness and humility.”  

Emma Woods, Kavi Thakrar and Shamil Thakrar join an elite list of 37 other industry ICONs: Tim Bacon, John Barnes, Andy Bassadone, Will Beckett, Peter Boizot, Jo Clevely, Rupert Clevely, Chris Corbin, Mark Derry, Roy Ellis, Gerry Ford, Karen Forrester, Huw Gott, Jane Holbrook, James Horler, Tony Hughes, John Hutson, Bob Ivell, Alan Jackson, Karen Jones, Phillip Kaye, Jeremy King, Simon Kossoff, Neil Macleod, Tim Martin, Julian Metcalfe, Danny Meyer, Thomasina Miers, Ian Neill, Kate Nicholls, Jane O’Riordan, David Page, Ian Payne, Alex Reilley, Robin Rowland, Steve Richards and Mike Tye.

Peach 20/20 thanks its headline partners on the 2024 HERO & ICON Awards: Access, CGA by NIQ, Diageo, Fourth, Nutritics, Sona and Zonal; premium partners Chapman Ventilation, Crunchtime, Toast and Uber Eats; event partners Airship, Bird & Bird, Brakes, Cardlytics, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Feed it Back, Freeths, Gusborne, Harri, Kitch, Lucky Saint, Mapal and Northern Restaurant & Bar and Toggle; and charity and association partners Be Inclusive Hospitality, Only A Pavement Away, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Tim Bacon Foundation and UKHospitality.