In memory of Károly Gundel (1883–1956), a restaurateur of iconic stature, the Hungarian Catering Trade Association established the Károly Gundel Award in 2014, with the broad involvement of professional organisations. The award is presented to individuals who, within the Hungarian hospitality sector, exemplify the life and gastronomic legacy of Károly Gundel.

Candidates for the award must have been active in the Hungarian hospitality sector for at least 25 years, having achieved outstanding success; they must possess an impeccable professional track record and an exemplary personal history, cherish the historical traditions of the Hungarian hospitality industry and are committed to its renewal, support the professional development of the younger generation, and contribute to promoting the Hungarian hospitality industry. The award is open to the very best in the hospitality industry, with a maximum of three recipients each year.
Every year, on Károly Gundel’s birthday – 23 September – the Trade Association announces the names of the award winners at a press conference held at the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Hospitality.

Previous winners:
• Kálmán Kalla, Zoltán Hamvas and Dr Balázs Draveczky (posthumously) – 2014.
• László Jakabffy, János Garaczi and Lajos Bíró – 2015.
• Frigyes Vomberg and János Czubor (posthumously) – 2016.
• Balázs Csapody – 2017.
• Tibor Rosenstein – 2018.

THE AWARDS COMMITTEE
The Hungarian Catering Trade Association considers it of outstanding significance that, amongst domestic gastronomic awards, the Gundel Prize is the only one to be awarded on the basis of extensive professional collaboration. Delegates from 13 professional organisations and 3 institutions, along with representatives of the Gundel Restaurant and the Gundel family, decide on this year’s winners based on the nominees’ work. In 2019, 14 people were nominated.
The members of the Awards Committee are:

 the Hungarian Catering Trade Association
 National Guild of Hungarian Confectioners
 Hungarian Restaurant Association
 Hungarian National Gastronomic Association
 Hungarian Association of Hotels and Restaurants
 Hungarian Association of Event Organisers and Service Providers
 National Association of Tourism and Hospitality Employers
 Hungarian Restaurant Chefs’ Club
 Chaine des Rotisseurs Friends’ Dining Society
 Hungarian Bocuse d’Or Academy
 National Association of Hospitality Training Tutors
 Stylish Country-Style Dining
 Pannon Gastronomic Academy
 a member of the Gundel family
 Károly Gundel Vocational School of Catering and Tourism
 Budapest University of Economics, Faculty of Commerce, Hospitality and Tourism
 Hungarian Museum of Trade and Hospitality
 Gundel Restaurant

ABOUT THE AWARD WINNERS

There were 14 nominations for professional excellence in 2019; based on a consensus reached by professional organisations and institutions, this year’s winner is:
The chef duo Szabina Szulló and Tamás Széll, and Tibor Meskál.

Szabina Szulló
Since starting his career in 1992, he has been working to promote Hungarian gastronomy. He has built a team from his own students, though many of his former pupils now work in various parts of the world. In 2011, he became the first Eastern European chef to be awarded a Michelin star in the Central and Eastern European region (as executive chef at Onyx Restaurant). In 2016, under his leadership, the Hungarian team became the first from any Central and Eastern European country to win the Bocuse d’Or Europe final. In February 2017, together with Tamás Széll, he opened a bistro called Stand25, where his mission is to showcase Hungarian cuisine and Hungarian ingredients. Over the past two decades, he has mentored numerous chefs who now hold leading positions at some of the most influential establishments in Hungarian gastronomy. In July 2018, he and Tamás Széll opened their fine-dining restaurant, Stand, which was awarded a Michelin star in March 2019. In 1999, he won the Ifjú Chaine des Rotisseurs competition in Paris, and in 2017 he received the Pro Turismo and Pro Urbe awards. He is a member of the following associations: Hungarian Bocuse d’Or Academy Association, Pannon Gastronomic Academy, Hungarian Association of Hotels and Restaurants, and Hungarian Gastronomic Association.

Tamás Széll
He worked in the Kempinski kitchen from the age of 14, and in 2008 and 2010 he won ‘Tradition and Evolution’, the most prestigious domestic hot-kitchen chef competition. In 2011, the Onyx Restaurant became the second in the country to be awarded a Michelin star, and in 2012 he represented Hungary in the European final of the Bocuse d’Or. Out of 19 competitors, he came 9th, becoming the first Hungarian to qualify for the Bocuse d’Or final. In the final in Lyon, he finished 10th out of 24 competitors. In 2016, he won the European final of the Bocuse d’Or in Budapest. In 2017, at the Bocuse d’Or final in Lyon, he came fourth and won the special prize for the best meat dish. In February 2017, he and Szabina Szulló opened their own bistro at the Hold Street Market, called Stand25, which was soon awarded a Bib Gourmand. In July 2018, they opened their fine-dining restaurant, Stand, which was awarded a Michelin star in March 2019. He places great emphasis on training: he gives talented students the opportunity to develop professionally under his guidance. He is a member of the following associations: the Hungarian Bocuse d’Or Academy Association and the Pannon Gastronomic Academy. In 2017, he received the Pro Turismo and Pro Urbe awards, as well as the European Citizens’ Prize from the European Parliament.

Tibor Meskál
He is currently the Senior Duty Manager at the Corinthia Hotel Budapest; previously, he worked at the Béke Hotel (1960), then at the Grand Hotel Royal from 1961 to 1966, first as a waiter and later as head waiter (Grand Hotel Hungaria), In 1963, he won a national professional competition held at the Gundel Restaurant. He has worked in luxury restaurants and hotels in numerous locations around the world (Berlin, Rome, Melbourne, Sydney, London, the Bermuda Islands, New York), as head of waiting staff, serving countless celebrities, heads of state, politicians and stars. On his return in 1996, he served as a consultant and head of dining at Gundel Restaurant, and subsequently, as Restaurant Director at the Forum Hotel, he played a part in the conversion of the hotel into an InterContinental. He later became events director at the Hotel Gellért, and in 1999 was elected president of the Grand Hotel Royal Restaurant Association, a professional organisation which remains active to this day under his leadership. He led the Hungarian Bartenders’ Association for three years and is a founding member of the Sámule Schnitta Association for Hungarian Gastronomy. He serves as a judge at numerous domestic competitions for students and adults, and has also acted as a delegated vocational trainer and coach for competitors at the EuroSkills and WorldSkills competitions. He is an editor of specialist textbooks and is actively involved in the education of the next generation; and is currently working with the Schnitta Association within the MNGSZ to produce an instructional film for vocational schools. Among his many professional accolades are: the Sámuel Schnitta Award (2003), the MNGSZ Medal of Merit for Hungarian Gastronomy (2007), MNGSZ Lifetime Achievement Award (2010), Törley Champagne Knight (2010), Gastronomer of the Year (2012), Grand Gold Cross of the First Hungarian White Table Order of Knights (2016). Memberships: MNGSZ, Schnitta Association, Chaine des Rotisseurs Association, MKVM Traditionalists’ Society, Grand Hotel Royal Restaurateurs’ Society.

The award will be presented at a formal ceremony on 24 November 2019, at 12:00 pm at the Gala Dinner organised by the MVI, attended by numerous leading figures from the industry and the press, at the Gundel Restaurant in Budapest (1146 Budapest, Gundel Károly út 4.)

This year’s changes will not only concern the venue for the gala lunch – the event will finally take its rightful place at the Gundel Restaurant, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year – but also in the fact that the previous year’s Károly Gundel Award winner, in this case Tibor Rosenstein, will be responsible for planning the gala lunch menu and inviting the participating chefs.

At the gala dinner, the book *Az Ízvezető* (The Taste Guide), created in memory of László Jakabffy, will be presented; in it, his former colleagues and friends – more than 60 of them – recall his character and the moments they shared, whilst the book also features photographs and recipes of dishes cooked from his own collection of home recipes. The book’s editor-in-chief is Zsuzsa Gyimesi.

The organising committee for the gala lunch:

Lajos Bíró (Bock Bistro)
László Kovács (Chairman of MVI, La Fiesta Party Service Ltd.
József Balázs (Tacuba Café)
Bernadett Bíró (MVI Technical Secretary)