TOP NOTCH - LEEDS RESTAURANT AWARDS 2007

28th November 2007 - The Leeds Guide

As Raymond Blanc and Gordon Ramsay have shown the nation with their TV shows, running a restaurant can be hard work. Running a good restaurant is even harder. That's why the Leeds Restaurant Awards exists: to recognise the best in the industry and congratulate them on a job well done. And, more importantly, to tell you so you can go and eat at them!

Never mind ‘two thousand spoons when all you need is a knife’, what’s really ironic is that on the 14th of November this year, the biggest food event on the calendar (which exists to promote and develop the dining out scene of Leeds) drew all the very best people from Leeds’ restaurant scene to the glittering Leeds Restaurant Awards party, meaning that any poor soul dining out that night may have wondered where all the staff had gone. And such was the scale of the party that there were no doubt some rather sore heads in the morning, so others may have wondered why their waiters seemed particularly grumpy on the 15th. For this we can only apologise.

It is however, all for the good in the long term. As we said, the awards serve not just to promote the city’s restaurant offering, but also to reward excellence and hard work, therefore encouraging improvement across the board. And that’s good for everyone.

As we’ve been involved in the Leeds Restaurant Association since the time it was founded just over three years ago, Leeds Guide was there en masse, both behind the scenes making sure everything went to plan, and later up front enjoying a drink or two. Purely for health reasons of course.

This year’s event seemed the grandest yet, which is saying something, given the fabulous grandeur of Leeds Town Hall was the setting for the 2006 awards. Over 300 guests came to the Queens Hotel, a suitably iconic venue, for a glamorous black tie dinner. This being a do for people who really know a thing or two about cooking, the importance of a quality spread was not underestimated, and with a menu that included smoked salmon from Sail Brand to start, and some truly incredible fillets of beef from Syke House Farm, few could argue with the top-notch grub.

Of course, though everyone likes a bit of food and wine, it was the after dinner element that had all the restau-rant types dying to get past the coffee and chocolate stage. This was where Gaynor Barnes from ITV’s ‘Calendar’ news came in. Despite having to stand on a box to reach the mike (hey, not every event is perfect) Gaynor opened the event with utmost poise and grace, and we quickly got down to the award shortlists and the winners in each category.

Firstly, we ran through the public awards — awards based on votes made online at www.letseatleeds.com or on postcards. You don’t need to tell a restaurant owner how unpredictable the public can be, and this section of the ceremony definitely had people guessing to the end. The lucky res-taurants were Casa Mia (Best Italian), Sheesh Mahal (Best Indian), Thai Edge (Best Oriental), The Lime Tree (Best World Cuisine) and Bryan’s (Best Fish & Chips).

With the thank you speeches, hand-shakes, kisses and photos out of the way, we moved on to the awards that had been decided in consultation with independent expert groups.

Best Business Lunch was chosen in partnership with Leeds Legal, a body that represents the finest legal minds at work in the city today, and there-fore a perfect choice for debating the various merits of where to go for an ‘eating meeting’. Though it was a close call — Restaurant Bar & Grill were very near to winning — tradition won out, and the group felt it impossible to ignore Sous Le Nez and its reputation for consistently good food and efficient service, as well as a classy setting.

Though they had to remain impartial, Leeds City Centre Management’s input was vital for the Best Alfresco award, helping to develop judging criteria such as what the restaurant had done with the space available, and whether the area added to the look of the city. Taking into account this the award went to Casa Mia Millennium.

The final award from this group was Best Wine List, for which we sought the help of two parties: Martin Longman, representing the West Yorkshire Wine Tasting Society, and Brian Marsden, a tutor who runs Advanced Wine Appreciation classes in West Yorkshire.

These guys outdid everyone with their extensive checklist of thoughtful and comprehensive criteria, and though Sous Le Nez was a massive, and unsurprising, favourite, Sam’s Chop House just edged it, winning brownie points for the information provided to help diners make the right decision.

The last two groups were combined to make things really interesting. Some were judged by our panel of judges (a dozen independent foodies who had been issued with scorecards and asked to anonymously inspect all of Leeds’ restaurants between them), and others were decided by the whole of the res-taurant association. For those, every member had been asked to nominate someone, and when the results had been counted, they formed the basis of shortlists that were sent back out for everyone to get a final vote.

First up was Best Restaurant Manager, voted for by LRA members which went to Brasserie Forty4’s Steve Ridealgh, a just reward for years of good work! Next, Best Chef, again voted for by LRA members. This, perhaps unsurprisingly, as he is arguably one of the most exciting chefs in the country, went to Anthony James Flinn from Anthony’s.

Switching to a judging panel award, Best Newcomer was next, and though hidden Italian gem Diva Italiana looked as if it might have just charmed its way to the stage, it was the hugely impres-sive Brasserie Blanc that finally won. Best Service was the next award. This was, for many, one of the most important awards given out that night. Our judging panel were happy to report excellent service at a number of great venues this year, but there could only be one winner, and Harvey Nichols romped it home with their ability to blend faultless attention to detail with relaxed affability.

The penultimate award was a very special one: each year the Outstanding Contribution to the Leeds Restaurant Industry represents a chance for all the members to step back, evaluate the people who have helped put this city on the gastro map, and celebrate one shining example. This year it was John Dammone from Salvos, who graciously thanked the whole of the Salvo’s family. Having just passed the restaurant's 30th birthday it seemed like perfect timing.

And finally, it fell to Gaynor, now assisted onstage by our Guest of Honour, Sir Jimmy Savile, to announce the winner of the most coveted title of all: Best Restaurant 2007. Jimmy, looking splendid in his Superman patterned suit and gold string vest, revealed the result: Chapel Allerton Thai favourite, Sukhothai. With a combination of brilliantly judged food, great service and unbelievably good value, they won our judges over.

With the announcements over, there followed much dancing and of course debating. But there was some excitement still to come: Deborah Green of Marketing Leeds was delighted to announce that, through the efforts of the Leeds Restaurant Association, the revered Taste festival organisers had decided to hold the northern stage of their next annual food event in Leeds — see next issue for more information about this brilliant festival.

Though there is plenty to say about what went on in the wee small hours, as people wound their way across town to the various bars for ‘just one more, then’, the real news from the event only materialised the next morning. Someone had cheekily snatched Sir Jimmy Savile’s prized rose-tinted glasses right off his face! It became one of the biggest stories the following day, with all around speculating about who might have dared (he’s 81 after all). As it turns out, we’ll never find out — the light-fingered partygoer had a change of heart and returned them anony-mously. Let’s hope it hasn’t put Jimmy off, and we hope to see you all again next year!

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