And the Restaurant of the Year is…

Spanish chef José Pizarro, two-Michelin-starred Tom Kerridge and Raymond Blanc protégée Ollie Dabbous were among the big winners at the inaugural Food and Travel Reader Awards held at The Royal Automobile Club on London’s Pall Mall on 3 September, 2012. In total 29 awards were handed out during a glittering evening hosted by comedian Simon Evans, with categories ranging from Hotel of the Year to Destination of the Year, to Restaurant of the Year – the latter won by a jubilant José Pizarro for Pizarro. Crowd favourite Kerridge picked up Chef of the Year while Dabbous won Breakthrough Chef of the Year. Others honoured on the night included Istanbul, which picked up Destination of the Year, Gidleigh Park (Hotel of the Year), Singapore Airlines (Airline of the Year), Viking River Cruises (Cruise Line of the Year), The Ginger Pig (Specialist Retailer of the Year) and Ashburton Cookery School (Cookery School of the Year). More than 20,000 votes were cast byreaders to nominate the best of the best across the food and travel industries, and the awards coincided with the magazine’s 150th issue. Food and Travel magazine is priced at £3.95 and is on sale at all good quality news outlets. Here’s a full round-up of all the winners: Tour Operator of the Year – Rainbow Tours Bar of the Year – The Connaught Bar Short-haul Airline of the Year – easyJet Long-haul Airline of the Year – Singapore Airlines Airline of the Year (overall) – Singapore Airlines Adventure Cruise Line of the Year – Spirit of Adventure Ocean Cruise Line of the Year – Celebrity Cruises River Cruise Line of the Year – Viking River Cruises Cruise Line of the Year (overall) – Viking River Cruises Cookery School of the Year – Ashburton Cookery School Specialist Retailer of the Year – The Ginger Pig Bed and Breakfast of the Year – Salthouse City Hotel of the Year – Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Gourmet Bolthole of the Year – The Hand & Flowers Rural Hotel of the Year – Gidleigh Park International Hotel of the Year – Rosa Alpina Hotel of the Year (overall) – Gidleigh Park Drinks Book of the Year – How to Make Your Own Drinks by Susy Atkins Food Book of the Year – History of English Food by Clarissa Dickson Wright Travel Book of the Year – Unusual Hotels Europe by Steve Dobson Book of the Year (overall) – Unusual Hotels Europe by Steve Dobson London Restaurant of the Year – The Ledbury Newcomer Restaurant of the Year – Pizarro Non-London Restaurant of the Year – The Fat Duck Timeless Classic of the Year – Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons Restaurant of the Year (overall) – Pizarro Breakthrough Chef of the Year – Ollie Dabbous Chef of the Year – Tom Kerridge Destination of the Year – Istanbul