Speakers
Brilliantly funny after dinner speaker, Peter Hancock, became Chief Executive of Pride of Britain Hotels in 2000. It is a consortium of 48 privately owned luxury hotels. He started his career as a waiter and has now spent over 30 years in the hospitality industry. Peter was the winner of the Diamond Award for 2012 from the Academy of Food & Wine Service. On 2014 Peter was appointed, Honorary Master Innholder and also made a Freeman of the City of London. In 2016 Peter had the honour of introducing Her Majesty The Queen at the Gold Service Scholarship awards.
Peter is currently Ambassador for James Hallam Insurance, Independent Hotel Show and Gold Service Scholarship. In 2023 he was appointed Chair of the Quality Advisory Board for VisitEngland and the AA.
Prior to taking over as CEO of Pride of Britain Hotels, Peter worked for hotel guide publisher Johansens, initially as a regional inspector and becoming a director of the company from 1996. Peter is a “fellow” of the Institute of Hospitality and a “fellow” of the Tourism Society, a member of the Academy of Food & Wine Service and an honorary St Julian Scholar. He writes regular columns in the leading trade magazines Caterer & Hotelkeeper and Hotel Owner.
After dinner speaker and host
Peter Hancock is an accomplished raconteur and much in demand for a wide range of corporate events as an entertaining business speaker, compere and witty after dinner speaker. Recent feedback includes:
“Thank you for all your help on making this year’s MI conference such a success…you were truly brilliant” Jonathan Raggett, Red Carnation Hotels
“Peter went down a storm. You were right about him having the right style. Very suave and just splendid” Mike Abraham, Independent Schools Association
“Spot on!” Adrian Bannister, Reunion des Gastronomes
“Peter was excellent with the content, style and duration just right for lunchtime” Brian James, Mineral Products Association
“Peter was brilliant. I was a bit nervous about how much of a brief Peter would need but he made it so simple and completely matched the tone of the event and audience. He was the ideal compere and such a gentleman” Nicky Kipriksiz, 3663
“Your speech was outstanding” Kathryn Pretzel-Shiels, American Express
“Peter was excellent and pitched it just right. He had done some homework and there were very amusing references to us…our members asked him for an encore and he duly obliged. He was very amusing while drawing the raffle too” Peter Davies, Solvents Industry Association
“A splendid balance of fun and seriousness” Robert Walton MBE, Young Chef Young Waiter Awards
“Please thank Peter for a great performance. Pitched at the right level and enjoyed by all” Kevin Thomas, Chartered Institute of Insurers
“You were certainly the highlight of the evening with many kind messages from our guests on an utterly hilarious and exciting speech” Mark Lowman, University of Surrey
