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Entries open for 2019 Seafood Restaurant of the Year competition

Article Date: 2019-05-21

Celebrating the fantastic fish and shellfish available to be enjoyed by diners all over the UK, the 2019 Seafood Restaurant of the Year Competition is now open for entry.

Seafish, the public body that supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, is proud to once again sponsor the competition, which is run by the Caterer, as restaurants across the country are invited to make their bid to be crowned champion in 2019.

The competition is open to all UK restaurants that include fish and shellfish on their menus. It seeks to recognise and celebrate restaurants, cafes and other eateries that demonstrate both excellent examples of cooking and serving of fish and shellfish, and evidence of fish and shellfish knowledge. The judges also look for clear evidence of responsible sourcing of sustainable raw ingredients, successful fish and shellfish promotion on menus, first rate product knowledge both front and back of house, and examples of how customers are encouraged to eat fish and shellfish.

The 2019 competition judging panel features a number of leading UK chefs and prominent restaurant and foodservice industry experts including:

  • Adam Thomason, Executive Head Chef, The Genuine Dining Co., London;
  • José Souto, Chef lecturer in Culinary Arts, Westminster Kingsway College, London;
  • Guy Owen, Owner/Chef, The Idle Rocks, St. Mawes, Cornwall;       
  • Calum Richardson, Proprietor, The Bay Fish & Chips, Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire;
  • Amanda Afiya of Sauce Intelligence, London;
  • Giovanna Grossi, Group Area Manager, AA Hotel Services;
  • Lisa Jenkins, Products and Suppliers Editor, The Caterer, London;
  • Adam Bateman, Group Operations and Development Chef, Principal Hotels/InterContinental Hotels Group.
     

Andy Gray, Trade Marketing Manager at Seafish said: “UK consumers have a tendency to focus our seafood consumption on five main species - salmon, tuna, cod, haddock and prawns - and yet on any one day it is estimated that there is in excess of 100 different species of fish and shellfish available for consumers to purchase and enjoy in the UK; a veritable bounty from the seas. This fantastic array of seafood is a main menu choice for many people when they eat out of home and put their trust in a chef to expertly prepare and serve an excellent seafood dining experience.

“The Seafood Restaurant of the Year competition provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase the wide range of restaurants, pubs and cafes that are excelling in providing customers with top quality fish and shellfish dining experiences and I would encourage business to get their entries in now for a chance to benefit from the fantastic opportunities on offer for the winners.”

As part of the range of prizes on offer, members of the overall winning restaurant will be invited on an all-expense paid study trip to the winner’s choice of either Brixham, Devon or to Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, to learn about the catching, processing and supply of seafood to other parts of the UK. In addition, members of the winning restaurant will also be invited on an all-expense paid study trip to visit Billingsgate Fish Market in London and to attend a masterclass event at the Billingsgate Seafood Training School.

The winner of the 2018 Seafood Restaurant of the Year Competition was The Idle Rocks, St. Mawes, Cornwall. Head Chef Guy Owen said: “We were absolutely over the moon to be awarded the Seafood Restaurant of the Year 2018. It was, without a doubt, thanks to the fantastic team here – who work so hard to understand our food and ensure that we are sourcing the fish and shellfish that we use in a responsible and sustainable manner, in order to protect the biodiversity of our oceans.”

Lisa Jenkins, The Caterer’s Products and Suppliers Editor, says, “The Caterer has been showcasing the best restaurants in the UK for over 140 years, and partnering with Seafish on their campaign to find the very operators serving and educating their customers on fish and shellfish in this industry, is a responsibility we take very seriously”.

Entries to the 2019 competition close on Monday 8 July 2019.

For further information on how to enter visit www.seafish.org/article/seafood-restaurant-of-the-year-competition

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