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Erica Schecter
Director of PR
Erica joined the team in 2021 with more than a decade of public relations agency experience, having worked with a range of hospitality clients from small independent venues to large restaurant groups, hotels and chef personalities, always with a strong focus on F&B. Having worked in both New York and London, Erica has developed and implemented successful global communications strategies and holds extensive international media contacts.
Clelia Di Casola
Head of Event & Brand Marketing
Clelia joined the team in 2021 as Group Marketing Manager, ready to take the reins on promoting 50 Best events around the world. Over the last 12 years, her hospitality experience has spanned marketing, project management, business development and restaurant operations. Clelia has worked to create and nurture successful F&B brands, defined by quality and consistency. Her passions are dining, hospitality and the community and culture that surrounds them.
Faye Huggett
Head of Partnerships: 50 Best Restaurants
Faye joined the 50 Best team in 2024 as Head of Partnerships for Restaurants after nearly two decades of strategic partnerships experience in financial services and hospitality technology. Her career included managing multi-year event sponsorships, working with chefs on private dinner series, delivering consumer presales for globally renowned music artists and even the production of the odd music festival or two. In her spare time, she loves to travel the world as often as possible to satisfy her thirst for culinary knowledge with her family, friends, and a good book in hand.
Felix Barlow
Head of Partnerships: 50 Best Hotels
Felix joined the team in 2024 as the Head of Partnerships for 50 Best Hotels, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience in media and events in the travel retail and yachting industries. Having held senior roles in these markets, Felix honed his customer-centric approach working with luxury brands on complex multi-platform campaigns and partnerships. As a nature lover, his perfect day includes cycling or skiing in the Alps, finishing with a fine dining meal with his family.
Pietro Rizzo
Head of Partnerships: 50 Best Bars
Pietro Rizzo, the celebrated world-class bar expert, has two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. Since relocating from Piemonte, Italy, to the UK in 2007, he has collaborated with the best bartenders globally. In 2022, he became Bar Director of The Aubrey, the first UK venture of Mandarin Oriental & Maximal Concepts. Pietro has managed renowned bars, conducted consultancy work, and served as European Brand Ambassador for Mancino Vermouth. He also judges cocktail competitions and teaches aspiring bartenders worldwide.
Emma Sleight
Head of Content: Bars & Hotels
Emma joined the 50 Best team in 2023 as Head of Content for Bars and Hotels, based in the UK. She has extensive experience as a journalist, editor and content consultant, including as head of food & drink content at Marks & Spencer for eight years leading its food photography, social media, content partnerships and editorial creative. A recipe developer and writer, she is also a cocktail aficionado, trained sommelier, Associate of Cheese and runs marathons around the world raising money as a trustee for education charity Bright Sparks that provides free education to some of India’s poorest children.
Rachael Hogg
Senior Content Editor
Rachael joined the 50 Best team in 2024 as Senior Content Editor. She started out as an automotive journalist, and spent years at AutoTrader, where she presented the first all-women car review series. Making the move from driving to dining, she was editor of FoodTribe and online editor at M&S, launching the brand’s recipe site and developing a cookbook’s worth of dishes and drinks. In her spare time, she is busy working towards her level 3 WSETs and putting her music degree to good use playing piano and saxophone.
Marisa Cannon
Senior Digital Editor
Marisa joined 50 Best in 2024 as the brand’s Senior Digital Editor. With more than 10 years’ experience, she’s worked as an editor for British Airways, Mandarin Oriental and Jaguar Land Rover, covering business, travel and luxury. She’s also written for CNN Travel, Conde Nast Traveller, National Geographic Traveller, Eurostar’s Metropolitan magazine and many more. When she’s not at her keyboard, she loves shopping for second-hand clothes, wild swimming and ordering takeaways.
Louella Berryman
Deputy Content Editor
Louella joined the 50 Best team in 2025 as Deputy Content Editor. Previously, she worked as a journalist and editor bringing food and drink stories to life for Delish UK, uncovering the secrets of talented sommeliers, chefs and bartenders for Club Oenologique and leading cross-platform food content for lifestyle magazines Red and Prima. Louella is also an experienced recipe writer and hosts regular book-themed supper clubs. Away from her laptop, she can be found taking a dip in a lido and scouring delis for pantry treats.
Josh Ong
Senior Content Creator
Josh joined the 50 Best team in August 2022 to create editorial for the 50 Best website and events, with a focus on the bars and hotels brands. Prior to joining 50 Best, he worked at Business Insider on lifestyle content and gained experience at food magazines while studying for an MA in Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. Food, drink and travel have always been his major passions, and he spends most of his time in his kitchen or eating his way around cities.
Olivia Simpson
Content Assistant
Olivia has worked in lifestyle journalism for many years and was Translations Editor at Time Out before joining the 50 Best team in May 2025. A keen traveller, she spent a year living in Santiago de Chile and two years in Madrid, spending half her time working as a Spanish-English translator and the other half becoming something of a vermouth connoisseur. Originally from Glasgow, she received an MSc in Translation Studies from the University of Glasgow and is passionate about Scotland’s hospitality and cultural scene.
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