Renowned Belfast Chef & Restaurateur, Michael Deane, has been shortlisted to the top 5 Restaurateurs in the UK for the prestigious Catey Awards which take place in The Grosvenor Hotel in London this week.

He will line up alongside some of the greats of the culinary world in these Islands including well known Chef & Restaurateur Richard Corrigan.

The organisers of The Catey Awards say the winners are the business leaders, innovators and household names in the industry and they stand out from the crowd, holding the crowning glory in any illustrious hospitality career. The awards are judged by expert panels of senior industry figures ensuring that The Cateys remain the most sought-after accolades in UK Hospitality.

Speaking before he left for London Michael Deane said ‘It is a huge honour for me, my team at Deanes and the city of Belfast that I will be in this illustrious line up in London. Our philosophy at Deanes has always been to set the standard for the best quality and the best value eating out experience in our city. To be in this list in the UK is exceptional recognition of what we strive to do seven days a week’.

Michael Deane has been at the helm of Deanes Restaurants in Belfast for 21 years and is recognised as having played a major role in revolutionising the eating out scene in the Province which is now burgeoning and significantly contributing to the growth of the tourism industry here. Today the Deanes empire has grown to seven different outlets across the city covering a wide spectrum of experiences from Michelin Star dining in Deanes Eipic to the ever popular Deanes Deli Vin Café with its cool and casual vibe.

Over the years both Michael Deane personally and Deanes Restaurants have been widely recognised with a host of awards including his seventeenth Michelin Star over the twenty one years of Deanes in Belfast. He himself has been named UK Chef of The Year and Deanes has been awarded Restaurant of The Year in Ireland on four occasions.