22nd June 2011
The Readers' Restaurant of the Year Award: This Year's Overall Winner
The nomination period for this year's esteemed The Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year Award is now over. The award recognises culinary excellence and good service at restaurants, pubs and cafés throughout the UK. We invited members of the public to nominate their favourite independently-owned establishments in their area; those that offer regional dishes and use local produce. And you responded in your thousands!
The Good Food Guide announced the regional winners on 23rd May, and the overall Readers' Restaurant of the Year – Orwells, Shiplake – was revealed at an awards ceremony on 23rd June 2011. Take a look at some pictures from the day.
Thank you to everyone who nominated their favourite restaurant! To find out more, check out our profiles of all the Regional Winners.
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Orwells, in Shiplake, has beaten stiff competition to be crowned as the overall winner of the prestigious The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Award.
The award was presented to Orwells by renowned chef and restaurateur Raymond Blanc OBE at a ceremony in central London today. Orwells triumphed over other shortlisted venues as an example of impressive modern dining with a ‘something-for-everyone’ appeal.
Versatile, ingredient-led modern cooking
Elizabeth Carter, Consultant Editor of The Good Food Guide, praised the Oxfordshire restaurant, saying: ‘It was the bags of energy and that something-for-everyone appeal that made Orwells stand out – and they had some very strong competition. Ryan Simpson clearly understands the way we want to eat now and has judged his market exactly. The sheer versatility takes in £10 lunches and easy-going, ingredient-led modern cooking in the brasserie, with the fine-dining room for special-occasion dinners the icing on the cake.’
Orwells owners Ryan Simpson and Liam Trotman were delighted to win, commenting: 'We're really thrilled and delighted to win The Good Food Guide Readers' Restaurant of the Year in such a short period of time since opening. It shows how hard work, determination and listening to your customers really can pay off.'
Take a look at some pictures that were taken on the day of Orwells and our other fantastic Regional Winners.
About the Award
The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Award is run annually to find the UK’s favourite restaurant as nominated by the general public. To qualify for the awards restaurants needed to be independently-run, offering regional or local produce where possible and deliver consistently great food and excellent service.
Over 27,500 diners nominated their favourite restaurants, pubs and cafés from around the UK in the quest to find this year’s The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year. The Good Food Guide Award judges whittled down the nominations down to a list of ten regional winners, before today crowning Orwells as the overall winner.
Congratulations Orwells!