The team at Liverpool restaurant Lu Ban are celebrating after winning a huge award.
The venue was named one of the winners at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022. The ceremony featured finalists from across 15 categories, handpicked by tourism industry experts from more than 300 entries.
The awards "celebrate the very best of England", with 15 categories including the best places to visit with the kids, spend your days off, spend a night, and tuck into something delicious.
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After a rigorous judging process, the winners of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022 were announced. Lu Ban won the ‘Taste of England Award’ taking home the Gold Award ahead of Moor Hall Restaurant With Rooms in Aughton, which took Silver and Fischer’s Baslow Hall in Derbyshire, which took Bronze.
Lu Ban, in the Cains Brewery Village, is led by executive chef Dave J Critchley and VisitEngland described it as a restaurant that "brings a new dimension to Chinese food in Liverpool". The judges said "the excellence of gastronomic experience is at the heart of everything they do" as Lu Ban won the award at a glitzy ceremony held at the Library of Birmingham last night.
Lu Ban has an a la carte menu, set menus and you can book an exclusive seat at the chef’s table and tuck into dishes including braised pork belly with Shaoxing caramel, Ying and Yang hot and sour soup, and fresh rock oysters.
Speaking to the ECHO, Mr Critchley said: "We opened at a really challenging time because within three months we had to close our doors due to the pandemic. We had to do everything we could to survive and we’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re pushing on to achieve awards like this and grow as a business.
"Winning awards is a big deal to us, it justifies all the hard work we put in through lockdown just to keep the business alive. All that hard work is really paying off now and this award will give everyone a real boost.
"It also puts us on the national stage, it’s a big deal for a Liverpool restaurant to win it. There’s been a shift up north in terms of good restaurants opening and hopefully more chefs will be encouraged to open restaurants up north in the next few years.
"Opening other restaurants is always in our plans as well. Covid has set us back two years, but we’re looking at options and would love to open another restaurant in the north west."
Lu Ban has also been nominated in the Golden Chopsticks Awards for Best In England and you can vote for them here. The winners will be announced on September 26 at a ceremony hosted by Gok Wan.
Another winner at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2022 was Chester Zoo, who took the Gold award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year, ahead of Bletchley Park, which took silver and Pensthorpe Natural Park, which won bronze.
Jamie Christon, CEO at Chester Zoo, said: "As one of the world’s leading charity zoos, we put everything into our conservation work both here in the UK and globally. Our huge team live and breathe wildlife conservation – from our animal and plant care, to our scientific breakthroughs, our policy work in government, through to our education programmes that are helping people from all walks of life to learn about nature.
"We’re fighting to tackle the root causes of wildlife decline, doing whatever it takes to create a brighter future for endangered species around the world. None of this could be possible without people coming to the zoo to enjoy a fantastic, inspiring day out.
"In doing so each and every person is contributing to our incredible species-saving work and so a huge thank you goes out to everyone that has visited and supported us. It means the world to us. This national award firmly confirms Chester Zoo as one of the must-see places to visit in the country."
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