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.

When 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.”

The 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

A 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