Oliver Awards 2022: Entries now open as the Yorkshire Evening Post celebrates Leeds' extraordinary restaurants and bars

Highlighting the best the city's food and drink scene has to offer, in what has been a turbulent year for hospitality businesses, the awards are the 13th hosted by the YEP.

Industry experts will judge a range of categories, picking their shortlists and eventual winners which will be announced at a ceremony at Queens Hotel on March 28.

This year, there are exciting new categories - including an Outstanding Contribution award to recognise businesses which have achieved the extraordinary, overcome unprecedented challenges or helped out the community over the last two years.

Launching the awards, YEP editor Laura Collins said: "The last two years have been extremely challenging, especially for those in our city's hospitality sector.

"Restaurants, bars and cafes have faced an uncertainty like no other after being forced to close their doors for months on end.

"Sadly we have lost some fantastic hospitality businesses in Leeds as they have struggled to keep their heads above water.

"Many businesses have had to refocus their efforts in order to stay afloat and that creativity and determination must be applauded.

"This is a chance to celebrate those who have worked incredibly hard to ensure our city's high streets remain as vibrant as ever as we celebrate our extraordinary dining scene."

Chef uniform manufacturer Chef Works is sponsoring the Chef of the Year, while the Best Specialty category is backed by restaurant refurbishment firm Elite Shopfitters.

Hallgarten & Novum Wines will sponsor the Best Fine Dining Experience category, while a new takeaway app, Pronto Delivery, is supporting the Best Takeaway Offering.

The Northern account manager for Hallgarten & Novum Wines, Gary Smulders, said: "We are extremely proud to be partnering with the Oliver Awards to help celebrate the diverse dining scene in Leeds.

"The 2022 awards, in particular the Best Fine Dining Experience category, will help shine a light on the incredible restaurants that are raising the bar in the fine dining category and demonstrating the direction the city’s food and drink scene is going."

Mark Barrett, the co-founder of Pronto Delivery, added: "When Covid hit, restaurants had to pivot to takeaway to survive.

"We saw first-hand how lockdown affected businesses and the people that work in hospitality. There are so many amazing stories of how people adapted and have continued to thrive by providing takeaway.

"We wanted to sponsor the Best Takeaway Offering award to recognise and celebrate all the work that people put into creating successful takeaway services."

Nominations are now open and can be submitted by businesses, customers and members of the public at www.oliverawards.co.uk.

Entries close on February 16 and sponsorship packages are still available - click here to get in touch.

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