Waitrose Launches The Good Food Guide ‘Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Awards 2016’

The Good Food Guide, published by Waitrose, is calling for diners to nominate their favourite local eaterie for its Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Awards. The coveted awards honour the very best independent restaurants, pubs and cafés from around the country.  The nomination period opens on Monday 2nd March 2015.

The annual awards recognise the best dining establishments across ten different UK regions and are based on public nominations with a panel of Good Food Guide judges choosing the most outstanding for their overall winner.

The awards support independently run restaurants with a special focus on menus which champion regional or local produce where possible.

Elizabeth Carter, Editor of the Waitrose Good Food Guide, commented: ‘The Good Food Guide’s Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Award is always closely fought. Last year we received well over 30,000 nominations, showing just how important independent restaurants are to a local community. The Guide’s army of loyal readers have certainly made these awards their own, with nominations highlighting the very best of small enterprise. The UK has a wealth of consistent and likeable local restaurants which offer no pretensions or gimmicks, just first class food and knowledgeable, welcoming service.’

As well as providing a fantastic way for people to recognise their favourite restaurants, the awards often provide a welcome boost to the businesses who win.  Many winning restaurants report uplift in bookings, takings and staff morale as a result of an award from The Good Food Guide.

Last year, Carters of Moseley, Birmingham, won the overall award of The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year 2015.

Holly Jackson, from Carters of Moseley said: ‘We were completely overwhelmed after winning the Readers’ Restaurant of the year Award 2015. We cannot thank our loyal customers enough for naming us as their favourite place to eat; we were so proud and grateful. The Good Food Guide offers unstuffy reviews which we feel is important when it comes to our business and the industry. I think this award shows the lengths that the Good Food Guide goes to, highlighting great places to dine wherever you are, that you may never have heard of. It celebrates good food from around the country! Best of luck to everyone in 2016’s nominations!’

To take part in the awards, restaurants can encourage their diners to nominate them online, at www.thegoodfoodguide.co.uk/feedback, or by making official postcards available in their restaurants during the nomination period –  2nd March until 11th May 2015.

The ten regional winners and the overall winner of The Waitrose Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year 2016 will be announced in July 2015.