Peter Avis

Meet Peter Avis

Peter Avis is a multi-award-winning General Manger and customer service consultant with over 25 years’ international experience in the hospitality sector. In a career that has seen him launch high-end restaurants and some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, Peter’s rise through the hospitality industry, from dishwasher to 2009 winner of the UK Restaurant Manager of the Year, epitomizes the power of hard work and humility, along with a continued pursuit for exceptional quality and high standards.

For over 15 years Peter played an integral role in the Virgin Group, working closely with Sir Richard Branson on projects including managing the renowned London Roof Gardens and launching Virgin Limited Edition hotels such as the Mont Rochelle Hotel and Restaurant in South Africa and the Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco. Peter was also on hand to personally supervise the wedding of Sir Richard’s daughter on Necker Island.

“Like me, Peter believes it is very important in a business to take a keen interest in the people who work for them. Their happiness reflects on their performance as well as on the pervading mood of the business. Peter always goes that extra mile with his team and guests, and truly loves what he does, and that shows.” – Sir Richard Branson

Peter was recently appointed as General Manager of Galvin at Windows, at the London Hilton Park Lane. He frequently appears in broadcast media and is a popular keynote speaker.

Born in Liverpool and brought up on a council estate, Peter left school at 16 with an uncertain future. Whilst visiting his sister in Miami, he took his first job as a dishwasher. With an attitude that shone as brightly as the plates he meticulously polished, he was quickly relocated to the restaurant floor where he displayed natural people skills and a flair for business.

His ensuing years at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas and the Royal Garden Hotel in London taught Peter the importance of training, communication, service and consistency. Hungry to pursue his ambitions, he eventually gained an assistant manager position at a private restaurant in Knightsbridge, London.

In 2001, Peter was approached to join the opening team of Babylon Restaurant, where he went from supervisor to manager in the space of a few years. Under his leadership, the Virgin venture scooped the Best London Restaurant award at the Visit London Awards in 2008, and, a year later, Peter was crowned UK Restaurant Manager of the Year.

His achievements in the field were also recognised in 2014 when he received the Richard Branson Special Award for Services to the Community and the highly-coveted Carey Award for Manager of the Year. He was subsequently appointed Chairman of the UK Guild of Restaurant Services and was the youngest member ever to be inducted in the restaurant hall of fame. In 2022 he was awarded Her Majesty’s platinum jubilee medal and was inducted into the seal of excellence within the House of Lords for his services to Hospitality, Peter was also named top influencer in hospitality in 2022.

Peter has served on a number of industry advisory boards and has been written about in press articles and a variety of industry magazines such as GS Magazine, Big Hospitality, Essentially Catering and The Caterer.