Uber Eats has today revealed the regional winners for its inaugural UK & Ireland Restaurant of the Year Awards, judged by Prue Leith, restaurateur and TV host, and Rachel Ama, vegan chef. The first-ever awards from the food delivery app will see the winner of the ‘Restaurant of the Year’ win £100,000 to build and expand their business.
For the past month the public have been voting for their favourite local spots across the UK and Ireland and today the winners have been unveiled, revealing the most popular restaurants in each region.
Brits have voted in their thousands to select the below as their winners for each region:
- Mr T's, North East
- The Salad Project, London
- Natty's Jerk Kitchen, South East
- Burger and Sauce, Midlands + East Anglia
- Chilli Daddy, South West
- Bread Meats Bread, Scotland
- Vegan Sandwich Co, Ireland
- Love Pizza, Northern Ireland
- Picnic, North West
Later this summer the winners will be invited to take part in a judging day in London, where their food will be tasted by a panel of expert judges. In addition to Rachel Ama and Prue Leith, Mathew Price, Uber Eats General Manager, Mark Lewis, Chief Executive at Hospitality Action, Lorraine Copes, Head of Procurement at Be Inclusive Hospitality, and Joseph Denison Carey, TV chef, will be on hand to contribute their wide-ranging expertise to the judging panel.
They will be determining the winner of various categories including the coveted ‘Restaurant of The Year’ award. Beyond the grand prize category, the judges will also determine the winners of the Pioneer Awards, which include:
- Female Chef of the Year
- Black-owned Restaurant
- Sustainable Restaurant
- Health-focused Restaurant
- Community/Social Impact Restaurant
These categories will highlight the trailblazers in the industry who are leading the way after a turbulent few years for restaurants and the hospitality industry.
Matthew Price, Uber Eats General Manager, said: “A huge congrats to all of our finalists, we were overwhelmed with the response from the public who voted in their hundreds of thousands. I can’t wait to try some amazing food and meet the amazing independent restauranteurs behind the dishes"
Dame Prue Leith, cook, restaurateur, TV presenter and author, said: “Opening your own restaurant is desperately hard work, nerve-wracking and expensive. But there are few things as exciting and satisfying. I’m delighted to work with Uber Eats to crown their first Restaurant of the Year and shine a light on some extraordinary people and restaurants. They are the future of the industry. I’m looking forward to discovering pioneers across the UK and Ireland and of course to eating some amazing food.”
The winners will be announced at a star studded event in London in August. More details on each restaurant can be found at https://ubereatsawards.com/.
Rachel Ama, Vegan chef, said: "Plant-based options have changed so much - even in just the last 3 years. Searching for vegan friendly options was always a difficult and underwhelming task, whereas now, I actually have a variety of options and choices. It's amazing to see so many restaurants jump on board the continually growing demand for plant based food and get creative in serving up really yummy food. I’m really looking forward to exploring the selection available on Uber Eats and highlighting some of the wonderful places through these awards.”
Mark Lewis, Chief Executive of Hospitality Action, said: "I'm delighted to be supporting the inaugural Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year Awards, on behalf of Hospitality Action. Uber Eats and Hospitality Action share a common goal: to support UK hospitality and foodservice operators. They provide a powerful distribution route to market, we help keep their teams happy, healthy and productive. With the sector facing such profound challenges, showcasing and celebrating success has never been more important."
Lorraine Copes, Founder at Be Inclusive Hospitality, said: “Uber Eats has a community of diverse restaurateurs who deserve to be celebrated, and their wonderful cuisines recognised. What I love most about hospitality is that food is the centrepiece for almost every culture, and by getting to hear these stories, in some instances we will also be celebrating rich family traditions too.”
Joseph Denison Carey, TV chef, said: "Every chef brings their own unique take and story to their food, and their dishes can be a powerful tool to help us understand each other better. That’s why I’m excited to work with Uber Eats to shed light on some of the unknown stories of great restaurateurs across the UK and Ireland. I can’t wait to crown the Restaurant of The Year.”
