Van Zeller, in Harrogate, has today been crowned as the overall winner of the prestigious The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Award.
The award was presented to Tom van Zeller, chef-patron of Van Zeller by renowned chef Angela Hartnett at a ceremony in central London today. Van Zeller triumphed over stiff competition from nine other shortlisted restaurants* and was praised for its vibrant and ambitious cooking.
Elizabeth Carter, Consultant Editor of The Good Food Guide, praised the North Yorkshire restaurant, saying:
Tom van Zeller is a likeable chef with no pretensions or gimmicks – his smart, contemporary dishes are full of vibrancy, bold strokes and ambition. His army of loyal fans are unanimous that this is a chef firing on all cylinders – one who is aiming for the top. From extraordinary attention to detail, to cooking that extracts the best from first-class produce, Van Zeller’s is a lesson in how a small restaurant should be run and a worthy winner of our Readers’ Restaurant of the Year award.
Tom van Zeller, chef-patron of Van Zeller added:
To represent the North East in the regional awards is one thing, but to be given the national award is a huge honour of which I am incredibly proud – for my team, for my customers and for Harrogate.
The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year Award is run annually to find the UK’s favourite restaurant, as nominated by the general public. The esteemed awards champion local eateries and recognise great food and good service, with the criteria that restaurants must be independently run and offer regional or local produce where possible.
Over 44,500 diners** nominated their favourite restaurants, pubs and cafés from around the UK in the quest to find this year’s The Good Food Guide Readers’ Restaurant of the Year. The Good Food Guide Award judges whittled down the nominations to a list of ten stellar regional winners, before today crowning Van Zeller as the overall winner.
