A Jamaican restaurant has been named the best takeaway restaurant in the UK and Ireland as the Uber Eats Awards announced its 2024 winner.
Natty’s Jerk, based in Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, has been crowned winner at the London Restaurant Awards this afternoon.
The family business, which offers Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork Belly, Jerk Jackfruit and Jamaican Fried Dumplings, won £100,000 to fuel its future growth, after entering the competition for the third year in a row.
Their impressive menu helped them win over a panel of judges, Uber Eats general manager Matthew Price, street food expert Kieran Monlouis (aka @FoodyFella) and last year’s winner, Josh Kleiner of Sandwich Sandwich.
Owner Natty Crutchfield received the £100,000 from renowned chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver, after being selected as one of 12 finalists from a field of more than 130 restaurants.
After an intense final day of judging, Natty’s Jerk emerged victorious, joining Sandwich Sandwich in the elite circle of Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year winners.
Sandwich Sandwich’s success since its 2023 win has been meteoric, with the opening of its first location in London and recognition from celebrities such as Tyson Fury and Gordon Ramsay. Now Natty’s Jerk is ready to embark on an equally exciting journey.
In addition to the grand award, Uber Eats also honored several restaurants for their outstanding contributions to the industry.
Natty’s Jerk, based in Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, has been crowned winner at the Uber Eats Restaurant Awards in London tonight.
Judged by food industry experts including Prue Leith, Douglas McMaster, owner of Silo, James Lee, partner at Waitrose, and Sophie Pritchard, Food for Life, the Trailblazer Award recognized restaurants driving positive change in the sector in four crucial impact areas.
Each Trailblazer winner received £7,000 to drive their business growth, along with a personalized marketing campaign and in-app support package from Uber Eats.
The food delivery company also launched the latest round of its £250,000 Black Business Fund, aimed at supporting black-owned restaurants across the UK. The fund will offer 25 small businesses in the UK grants of £10,000 with at least half of the grants going to restaurants outside London.
these years Nominated restaurants included a vegan Chinese and Detroit style pizzeria.
The shortlist included 130 restaurants and 40 types of cuisine, from burgers and chicken to street food and even smoothie places.
The award aims to champion small restaurant business owners, with finalists looking to impress the judging panel with their “hero dish” in London.
Among the nominated restaurants is Tofu Vegan in Islington, which offers Chinese-inspired dishes with a vegan twist.
Tofu Vegan has a completely plant-based menu, and most dishes are made with tofu and mushrooms, or imitation Asian meats made with bean proteins.
The family business, which offers Jerk Chicken, Jerk Pork Belly, Jerk Jackfruit and Jamaican Fried Dumplings, won £100,000 to fuel its future growth, after entering the competition for the third year in a row.
Natty’s Jerk, based in Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton, has been crowned winner at the restaurant awards held in London tonight.
After an intense final day of judging, Natty’s Jerk emerged victorious, joining Sandwich Sandwich in the elite circle of Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year winners.
Natty’s Jerk started in 2017, in the kitchen of her home in Portsmouth and has since expanded thanks to its popularity.
Their most popular options include wontons in spicy sauce, dim sum and sweet and sour ‘chicken’ for £13.80.
Meanwhile, its expert team includes chefs from Sichuan, southern Cantonese China and the northeastern Dongbei region, so the menu features a variety of appealing regional flavours.
Two Detroit pizzerias made the list: Cuties Pies and Fries Detroit Pizza in the Southeast and Detroit Pizza in London’s Spitalfields.
At the London outlet, a large Detroit pizza costs £26.99 and is topped with pepperoni, selected jalapenos, honey and parmesan, or you can pay £4.99 for a selected single slice.
Meanwhile, Junglees was established in 2021 after founder Nomaan decided to leave his corporate career in law to pursue his passion for food.
Junglees specializes in burgers and wings, and even offers a full cod fillet on a burger, called ‘The Codfather’, for £11.49.
The nominees included a wide variety of cuisines from 12 regions across the UK with a wide range of options on the shortlist.
Brits were able to vote for a customizable toast restaurant (Grilladh in Ireland), a breakfast sandwich place (Davey’s in the northeast) or healthier alternatives, such as Juice Jar in Northern Ireland, which offers clean juices, berry bowls and smoothies.
Each restaurant has an individual outlet, such as ANSH in Wales, which has a famous Bari Ddu burger with black burger bun, stuffed with Welsh black meat, smoked bacon, smoked cheddar cheese and seaweed rum sauce for £13.
Matthew Price, managing director of the UK, Ireland and Northern Europe at Uber Eats, said: “We created the Restaurant of the Year awards to highlight the best independent restaurants across the UK and Ireland.
“Small businesses like these make up a big part of Uber Eats, and we want to help each one of them thrive because Uber Eats is only successful when our restaurant partners are successful.”