Greek restaurant The Athenian which serves a range or delicious wraps and authentic souvlaki has been named the best in the UK at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards this evening.
The second ever awards, which were presented on social media, also saw Patty & Bun pick up best burger, while trendy Iranian Bombay Cafe Dishoom won best newcomer after launching on the app earlier this year.
Meanwhile, celeb-love Ottolenghi won best healthy choice, while a small south London pizzeria Al Forno was named awarded for serving the best pizza in the country.
Greek restaurant The Athenian which serves a range or delicious wraps and authentic souvlaki has been named the best in the UK at the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards this evening. Their food is pictured
The award were decided by a celebrity panel of judges, including Maya Jama, Vogue Williams, reigning Celebrity MasterChef champ Riyadh Khalaf and Deliveroo’s CEO Will Shu.
The other deserved nominees for the top spot were Pizza Pilgrims, Atis, Oro, Rosa’s Thai Cafe and Dishoom.
Judges praised the Athenian for their support of Deliveroo’s NHS initiative to donate over 2,500 meals to NHS heroes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
On top of this, the Greek restaurant gave a 50 per cent discount available to all NHS staff and also launched a weekly parcel for their employees to ensure they had all the necessities during the pandemic.
They also launched a ‘Walk to Work scheme’, paying their employees to walk to work rather than getting the tube.
‘From showing an amazing commitment to delivery throughout the pandemic, keeping all staff employed throughout the peak of lockdown, running virtual cook-a-long’s on Instagram during lockdown and investing in delivery-only, The Athenian has gone over and above this year to support the community,’ a Deliveroo spokeperson told Femail.
Founded by two Londoners born and raised in Athens and Cyprus, The Athenian started off as a small street food venture serving freshly made souvlaki.
With a 40 per cent plant-based menu, The Athenian quickly gained a cult following for its authentic, fresh and nutritious food, and expanded to seven locations in London along with locations in Bristol, Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester and Reading.
The awards focused on the hard work and talent of the delivery app’s restaurant partners who have endured an extremely tough time due to the pandemic.
The range of award categories, from Best Indian and Best Family Restaurant to Best Eco-friendly and Best Vegan Offering, reflected both traditional tastes and the latest trends in the restaurant industry.
More than 400,000 votes were cast over the course of the competition, as the British and Irish public showed their support for family-run independents, high street favourites and even grocery stores offering on-demand essentials.
The second ever awards, which were presented on social media also saw trendy Iranian Bombay Cafe Dishoom won best newcomer after launching on the app earlier this year
Meanwhile Patty & Bun (right) picked up best burger and Archie’s won best cheap eats, as well as best halal option (shown left)
The award were decided by a celebrity panel of judges, including Maya Jama (right), Vogue Williams (second right), reigning Celebrity MasterChef champ Riyadh Khalaf (second left) and Deliveroo’s CEO Will Shu (left)
Each of the award winners will receive support from Deliveroo to help them grow their business and give back to their customers
Deliveroo founder and CEO Will Shu told FEMAIL: ‘This year has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging years the restaurant sector has ever faced. Yet in the face of huge uncertainty, we have been inspired by the way restaurants across the UK and Ireland have stepped up and gone the extra mile to support their local communities, while working tirelessly to keep their own businesses going.
‘From providing free meals to hospital staff working on the frontline, to delivering meals to vulnerable people, and going above and beyond to protect their staff – we want to recognise and say thank you to our amazing small and independent restaurant partners.’
A small south London pizzeria Al Forno was named awarded for serving the best pizza in the country
Celeb-love Ottolenghi won best healthy choice for it’s men of vegetable-heavy dishes and treats