Uber Eats has launched its inaugural UK & Ireland Restaurant of the Year Awards, judged by Prue Leith. The first-ever awards from the food delivery app will see the winner of the ‘Restaurant of the Year’ receive £100,000 to build and expand their business. Customers can nominate their favourite restaurants from across the UK and Ireland at ubereatsawards.com until the end of April.
Alongside the public vote, the winning restaurants will be chosen by a panel of judges including Prue Leith, celebrity restaurateur and TV presenter, and Rachel Ama, vegan chef. Matthew Price, Uber Eats General Manager, Mark Lewis, Chief Executive at Hospitality Action, Lorraine Copes, Founder at Be Inclusive Hospitality, and Joseph Denison Carey, TV chef, will also contribute their wide-ranging expertise to the judging panel.
Beyond the grand prize category, the awards will also highlight the trailblazers in the industry who are leading the way after a turbulent few years for restaurants and the hospitality industry.
These Pioneer Awards include:
- Female Chef of the Year
- Black-owned Restaurant
- Sustainable Restaurant
- Health-focused Restaurant
- Community/Social Impact Restaurant
The launch comes as Uber Eats reveals the top 10 cuisines from 2021, with customers loving America’s influence on our menus as well as Italian and Indian. The awards follow findings which highlighted in 2020 alone Uber Eats supported £3.2 billion in value to the UK economy.
Top 10 Popular Cuisines on Uber Eats
- American
- Italian
- Indian
- Middle Eastern
- Chinese
- Japanese
- Thai
- French
- British
- Caribbean
Over the last year as hospitality has opened up, Brits have been getting more adventurous with almost half (46%) trying a new restaurant, with 68% of Uber Eats users agreeing that food delivery apps have made it easier to discover new restaurants. Over 90% of the Uber Eats’ restaurants surveyed judged that Uber Eats had helped increase the revenue.
There’s also been an increase in restaurants joining the app with Cardiff seeing the largest percentage growth over the last year, followed by Sheffield and Belfast. Uber Eats research also revealed that the public place supporting local businesses as among their top five considerations for purchase, alongside quality and speed.
The research also reveals that the most popular time to order is between 6pm-7pm with Friday night takeaway still proving strong. Meanwhile, two in five food delivery users have visited a restaurant after trying the food through delivery.
Matthew Price, Uber Eats General Manager, said: “There are so many amazing independent restaurants spanning every cuisine type on Uber Eats, and our awards will showcase their amazing work from across the UK and Ireland. I can’t wait to see the fantastic stories that emerge, try some of the best food available on our high streets up and down the country and recognise the pioneers and innovators shaping the future of our restaurant industry.”
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”
