Yesterday, Monday 30 June, London’s uber-chic The Hurlingham private members’ club in Fulham was turned into a foodie’s haven, awash with Michelin-starred chefs from around the world. The reason? The ever-coveted National Restaurants Awards ceremony (from the founders of The World’s 50 Best, The Restaurant Magazine), this year in association with the world’s best gluten-free beer, Estrella Damm.
Pre awards ceremony,the very first edition of the Estrella Damm Gastronomy Congress took place, which saw the world’s most awarded chef Ferran Adrià deliver a key note speech on the subject of modern tapas and introduce a celebration of tapas through each of these revered chefs.
Estrella’s new UK brand ambassador José Pizarro, the founder and driving force behind José and Pizarrorestaurants, was joined by additional gastronomic award winners including David Gil and Fran Agudo of Tickets Bar, Barcelona’s finest tapas restaurant and one of the UK’s top chefs, Tom Kerridge of the Hand and Flowers. Through the Estrella Damm Gastronomy Congress each chef discussed and demonstrated the dishes and techniques that best illustrate their own unique interpretation of tapas.
Among those to receive awards at the seventh edition of The National Restaurant Awards later that evening were chefs Tom Kerridge (featured in FOUR’s latest UK edition), whose 2 Michelin starred pub the Hand and Flowers in Marlow was named Gastropub of the Year, while Ashley Palmer-Watts at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal took Chefs’ Chef of the Year award and chef Karam Sethi, the limelight, with his Indian restaurant Gymkhana — located in London’s Mayfair — being named as Restaurant of the Year 2014.
Full list of Awards:
Restaurant of the Year: Gymkhana
Best Restaurant in Scotland: Restaurant Andrew Fairlie
Best Restaurant in Wales: The Walnut Tree
Best Restaurant in Northern Ireland: Shu
Gastropub of the Year: The Hand & Flowers
Chefs’ Chef of the Year: Ashley Palmer-Watts, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The Service Award: The Waterside Inn
Wine List of the Year: Le Gavroche
OpenTable Diners’ Choice ‘Fit for Foodies’ Award: The Dairy
Highest Climber: Restaurant Story
Cocktail List of the Year: Grain Store
One to Watch: Lyle’s