A restaurant in Ripon, North Yorkshire, has beaten eateries from across the area to be named Regional Winner of the Waitrose Good Food Guide Reader’s Restaurant of the Year Awards.
Beating off stiff competition from some of the region’s best-known restaurants, Lockwoods was nominated by its customers for its ‘hearty and wholesome’ cooking and ‘buzzing’ atmosphere.
The Good Food Guide, published by Waitrose, called for diners back in March, to nominate their favourite local eatery. The coveted awards honour the very best independent restaurants, pubs and cafés from around the country and recognise the top dining establishments across ten different UK regions.
Elizabeth Carter, Waitrose Good Food Guide Editor, said: This award is a celebration of small, independent restaurants that specialise in amazing quality food, often at great value prices. While trained inspectors carry out all our reviews, we rely on readers to let us know about eateries that might otherwise be overlooked. They are incredibly sophisticated when it comes to eating out, so it makes sense to listen to their opinions.
There’s no standing on ceremony at Matthew Lockwood’s thriving café-bar and restaurant. There’s something for everyone, with cooking that is hearty, fun and wholesome. Big brunches, sandwiches, and colourful choices such as Asian noodle salad by day, morphing to full restaurant mode in the evening. The atmosphere is always buzzing. There should be one in every town.
Lockwoods owner and chef Matthew Lockwood said; “We’re thrilled to be voted the North East Reader’s Restaurant of the Year. Over the last decade the team has worked hard to make Lockwoods a place where fresh, interesting dishes and drinks are created which excite our customers; so it’s great to have our hard work and passion recognised. A big thank you to all our customers, and our hard working staff.”