97 & 98. Will Beckett and Huw Gott — Cofounders of Hawksmoor

Will Becket and Huw Gott have been best friends since they were 11 years old. The pair didn't have the most auspicious start in the restaurant biz, but a late night bar, a Mexican restaurant, and a gastropub later, the duo launched steakhouse Hawksmoor, which now has nine outlets across the UK and is regarded as something of an institution.

The "dictionary-thick" steaks, which The Times' food critic Giles Coren called the "best you'll find anywhere," are coming to New York this year. Hawksmoor's flagship 180-cover restaurant will reside in the historic United Charities Building between Madison Square Park and Gramercy Park.

Hawksmoor is not just about great beef, though. Gott and Beckett's reputation as "progressive employers" has earned Hawksmoor a place on The Sunday Times' list of top 100 UK employers for eight years running.