Call for entries for 2017 Restaurant of the Year competition
Seafish UK in association with The Caterer is inviting entries for the 2017 Restaurant of the Year competition.
The competition, now in its third year, is aimed at highlighting the best use and knowledge of seafood, especially under-used products. It is open to all restaurants in the UK, excluding the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, which include fish and shellfish on their menus.
Restaurants do not have to have a standalone fish menu or exclusively offer fish and shellfish to be considered. Businesses are asked to focus on examples of excellent customer service, innovative ideas to drive sales of fish and shellfish, outstanding fish and shellfish promotional activity and evidence of varied species of fish and shellfish alongside sustainable policies and practices.
Alex Aitken, chef-patron of the Jetty in Christchurch, Dorset, the 2016 winner, said: "Winning the Restaurant of the Year award for the care taken to serve responsibly sourced fish meant a lot to the team - especially as a competition that is judged and decided by our peers and industry experts.
"I'm joining the judging panel this year and I will be looking for a restaurant at the top of its game."
Initial shortlisting will take place in May and the top 10 restaurants will then be visited by a mystery shopper (a Seafish-appointed auditor) during July and August in order to create a final top five, which will be revealed in September, with the final winner announced shortly thereafter.
The overall winner and two team members of their choice will be invited on an all-expenses paid study trip to Brixham, Devon, to learn about the catching, processing and supply of seafood, and will meet a range of key industry players and experience some of the world's freshest and finest seafood.
The winning restaurant will also receive a bespoke trophy and an individually designed seafood masterclass at Billingsgate Seafood Training School in London with a guest chef. Other prizes include vouchers to be redeemed against cookery equipment and signed copies of cookery books.
Seafish, the authority on seafood in the UK, is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) set up to improve efficiency and raise standards across the seafood industry. Funded by a levy on the first sale of seafood products in the UK, including imported seafood, the organisation has a mission to secure a profitable and sustainable future for the UK seafood industry.
The deadline for entries is 12 May 2017 and entries can be submitted via seafish.org/seafoodrestaurantoftheyear
Questions regarding the competition can be sent to restaurantcomp@seafish.co.uk