Uber Eats has launched its UK & Ireland Restaurant of the Year Awards for 2023, with returning judges Prue Leith and Lorraine Copes joined by new additions Monica Galetti and Seema Pankhania.
Following the success of last year’s Awards, this year’s grand prize winner will take home £100,000 to build their business, with a further £100,000 to be split among finalists. From today, the public can put forward their favourite restaurants to take part at ubereatsawards.com.
Content creator Seema Pankhania, who trained as Chef de Partie at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants and was previously part of the Mob team, will be bringing her insights and opinions to the panel.
Last year saw the first-ever awards from the food delivery app, with the winner of the coveted award receiving £100,000.
This year the prize fund has doubled, offering a further £100,000 to be split among remaining finalists. Voting is open until July 28, when a shortlist will be revealed ahead of tastings with the judging panel.
Beyond the grand prize category, the awards will also highlight trailblazers in the industry.
These Pioneer Awards include:
- Female Chef of the Year
- Sustainable Restaurant
- Health-focused Restaurant
- Community/Social Impact Restaurant
Runners up will receive a cash prize and marketing support from Uber Eats, to help enable ongoing restaurant growth and development.
The launch comes as Uber Eats reveals the top 10 searched cuisines in the UK in the last 12 months.
Top 10 Popular Cuisines on Uber Eats
- American
- Brunch
- Halal
- Italian
- Healthy
- Indian
- Chinese
- Vegetarian
- Salad
- Wings
Matthew Price, Uber Eats General Manager, said: “With a wide range of amazing independent restaurants spanning every cuisine type available on Uber Eats, we hope that our awards will help create a platform to showcase the amazing business. Last year’s awards were a huge success and I look forward to creating an even more impactful awards program for our restaurant partners.”
Dame Prue Leith, cook, restaurateur, TV presenter and author, said: “I’m delighted to work with Uber Eats to crown their Restaurant of the Year again this year. Last year, we got to see all the hard work and effort these businesses go to for their customers and spotlight some extraordinary people, stories and restaurants. This year, I’m once again looking forward to discovering the next big thing in the restaurant industry, and of course to eating some amazing food.”
Monica Galetti, chef and television presenter, said: “Over many years working in professional kitchens such as Mere and Le Gavroche I’ve witnessed first-hand the levels of hard work, dedication and passion that go into running a restaurant business. I’m excited to be part of the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year Awards 2023 and to see what these independent restaurants bring to the table, and to meet some of the great minds behind the UK’s favourite meals.”
