The fifth annual Lexington Casual Dining Competition concluded with an unforgettable showcase of creativity, culture and culinary talent, as The Isaan Project was crowned this year's winner.
Created by Chef Kitty Whiteley and the Lexington Independents team at Kent College, The Isaan Project celebrates the bold flavours and rich culinary traditions of Northeastern Thailand. The winning team received the coveted Casual Dining trophy, and their concept will now be rolled out across Lexington sites, giving customers the opportunity to experience the authentic tastes and stories behind the winning brand.
Now in its fifth year, the Lexington Casual Dining Competition has become one of the business's flagship culinary events, challenging teams from across the organisation to develop an entirely new dining concept. From menu development and branding to uniforms, marketing strategy and mobilisation plans, every element is judged on creativity, commercial viability and customer appeal.
This year's competition attracted 29 entries, with concepts inspired by cuisines from around the world. Following a written submission stage, 12 teams progressed to the semi-finals before five finalists earned their place in the grand final, hosted at OKN1, the award-winning dining venue at New City College in Hackney.
More than 200 clients and guests attended the event, sampling each concept before casting their votes, which contributed 25% of the final score alongside the judges' assessments.
Alongside The Isaan Project, finalists showcased original concepts inspired by the culinary traditions of Jamaica, Shaanxi Province in China, Singapore and Venice, demonstrating the incredible breadth of talent and diversity across Lexington's culinary teams.
The finalists presented their concepts to an esteemed judging panel comprising James Golding, Group Chef Director at Rockwater and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts; Dhruv Baker, MasterChef 2010 winner and founder of Tempus Foods; Mike Carter, creator of Kana Kana and winner of the 2025 Lexington Casual Dining Competition; and Tom Geoffrey, founder of Barang.
Sean Ritson, Managing Director of Lexington, said:
"This year's Casual Dining Competition was a demonstration of innovation, collaboration and authenticity. Every year the bar gets higher and this year our teams did an exceptional job of telling their stories through food.
"Now in our fifth year, 30 concepts have been rolled out across Lexington sites, broadening our food offering and taking our customers on a journey around the world. This competition is unlike anything else in the industry. It expands the breadth of what we offer our customer base, nurtures our talent and reflects what makes our people and our business distinctive."
For Chef Kitty Whiteley, the winning concept was deeply personal. Inspired by the region where she grew up, The Isaan Project tells the story of Northeastern Thailand through family recipes, traditions and the legacy of her grandmother, whose handwritten recipe book inspired the dishes served throughout the competition.
Reflecting on the win, Chef Kitty said:
"Winning this competition is incredibly overwhelming. Fire from Isaan, stories from home – that's what this concept is built on. I wanted to bring the bold flavours of Northeastern Thailand to a new audience and represent my family's recipes and my Grandma's legacy.
"It is my Grandma's cooking and recipes that fuelled this award win and I'm really proud that her memory lives on. She is behind every dish and to have that recognised means everything to us."
Judge Dhruv Baker praised the winning concept, describing it as:
"A commercially ready-to-go concept that offers diners an insight into traditional family recipes from a specific region in Thailand, and that's what makes it so magical."
As The Isaan Project prepares to launch across Lexington sites, the competition once again demonstrates how innovation, storytelling and exceptional food continue to shape the future of dining across the business.