Leeds restaurants in the running for this year’s YEP Oliver Awards: The Shortlist 2019
This is a proud moment for us and for those on this year’s Shortlist. This is out 11th year and the first in which we have had the honour of working with our new three expert judges: Stephanie Moon, Simon Jenkins and Amanda Wragg.
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Hide AdWhen we founded the awards, we sought to shine a light on hard working restaurateurs in the Leeds area. Over the years, our awards have expanded. Two years ago, we introduced a new rural category and this year, we’re excited to be introducing Best Brewery and our new People’s Oliver, voted exclusively by our readers - there’s still time to vote at www.oliverawards.co.uk and just by voting you will be in with a chance to win £100.
The restaurants you see over the following pages have been carefully chosen from over 350 individual category entries into this year’s awards.
David Livingstone, head of catering at Bestway Wholesale, the second biggest food retailer in the UK, said: “Leeds is a city on the move. Bestway Wholesale is pleased to support the Oliver Awards and to recognise the very best of the Leeds eating out scene; be that through a world food outlet, a café, a restaurant, or through the chefs and personnel who are at the very heart of the industry.”
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Hide AdThe awards themselves will take place on March 11. We wish everyone involved the best of luck. Also sponsoring the awards are: Slingsby Gin, Foodit, Leeds BID, Bidfood, Forge Recycling, LWC Drinks and Elite Shopfitters.
THE JUDGES
Amanda Wragg
Born in Sheffield and brought up in busy country pub in the Peak District, Amanda Wragg has spent her life in the food and drink industry. The 64-year-old worked at YTV from 1976-1991, first as a secretary and later as a researcher and then producer. She is also a former Sunday Times columnist. She also worked for the well-known Alistair Sawday Special Places. She says: “My main purpose is to be completely honest. It’s how it is on the night. We work hard to earn the money, people deserve to go out and eat well and be treated well. For me, it’s about guiding people to places where they can have a good night.”
Simon Jenkins
Author and journalist Simon Jenkins joined the YEP in 1991 and soon after began writing the pub column Taverner. He writes articles for the Oliver column and for the past decade has contributed articles for the Yorkshire Food and Drink Guide. Simon is a former British Beer Writer of the Year and his third book, the Yorkshire Beer Bible, was published in August 2017. He says: “Yorkshire has an abundance of fabulous restaurants, serving a host of different cuisines – it will be an absolute pleasure to help choose the very best to receive these prestigious prizes.”
Stephanie Moon
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Hide AdA Yorkshire farmer’s daughter, Stephanie trained at Craven College, Skipton, gained experience at The Dorchester in London and was then taken on by the world famous chef Anton Mosimann. During this time she cooked for the Queen at a state banquet. Following travels to Switzerland, Germany, Australia and America, she he now runs her own consultancy business and is widely respected within the industry. She is also passionate about all things Yorkshire and despite tasting food from across the world, she says what we have here in this county - from Whitby crabs to moorland grouse - is second to none.
THE SHORTLIST 2019
British
Feed
George’s Great British Kitchen
Queen o’t’owd Thatch
The Clarendon Hotel
The Foundry
The Reliance
The Swine That Dines
Indian
Aagrah, St Peter’s Square (near BBC)
Bundobust
Bengal Brasserie
Prashad
Sheesh Mahal
Tharavadu
The Corner Cafe
Zoya
Italian
Buon Apps River Lounge & Italian Restaurant
Cena Bistro
Con Amici @ The Beehive
Culto
Gallery FortyOne
Salvo’s Salumeria
Zucco
World
Afsaneh Kaviani’s Persian Kitchen (Pop-up)
Ambiente Tapas
Brasserie Blanc
El Bareto
Hana Matsuri
Poco Sicilian Street Food
The Bank (Moortown)
City Centre
Fettle
Iberica
Issho
Kendells Bistro
Tattu
The Cross Keys
The Foundry
The Reliance
Vice & Virtue
Suburban
Amici
Feed
Gron Cafe
HanaMatsuri
La Casita (Horsforth)
Lavanta Meze Bar & Grill
Salvo’s
Sukhothai (Chapel Allerton)
Rural
The Blue Lion Inn (East Witton)
The Burlington at the Devonshire Arms
Elsworth Kitchen (Skipton)
Hideaway Kitchen (Dunsforth)
Horto at Rudding Park
The Angel at Hetton
The Moorcock Inn (Norland)
Newcomer
Arnold’s Restaurant & Bar
Feed
Fettle
The Angel at Hetton
The Foundry
The Ivy (Harrogate)
Service
Buon Apps River Lounge & Italian Restaurant
Gaucho
Sukhothai (Leeds)
The Box Tree
The Foundry
The Reliance
The Yorke Arms (Harrogate)
Chef
Blue Lion, East Witton - Jon Appleby
Harewood Food & Drink Project - Josh Whitehead
Home - Liz Cottam & Mark Owens
Moorcock at Norland - Alisdair Brooke-Taylor
Prashad - Minal Patel
The Devonshire Arms - Paul Leonard
The Foundry - Matt Healy
The Swine that Dines - Stuart Myers
Fine Dining
Arnold’s Restaurant & Bar
The Burlington at the Devonshire Arms
Home
Macleod’s Restaurant at The Coniston
The Box Tree
The Man Behind The Curtain
Lunch
Crafthouse
Elsworth Kitchen (Skipton)
Fettle
Gron Cafe
Poco Sicilian Street Food
The Cross Keys
Bar
Blind Jacks (Knaresborough)
Further North
North Bar
The Brunswick
The Hungry Bear
The White Horse & Griffin (Whitby)
Whitelocks
Cafe
Cafe 164
Gron Cafe
Hepworth’s Deli
Laynes Espresso
Printworks Kitchen & Bar (Leeds City College)
The Bank (Moortown)
Brewery
Bad Co
Leeds Brewery
Magic Rock Brewing Co
Northern Monk Brewing Co
Vocation (Hebden Bridge)
Wilde Child
To view out new People’s Oliver, please see our dedicated website: www.oliverawards.co.uk