Three UK restaurants were voted in the top 50 at the ’World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ awards.
Heston Blumenthal’s London restaurant ’Dinner’ went straight into the top 50 at number nine, taking the Highest New Entry award. Organisers mentioned how his “historically influenced British cooking had proved hugely popular with both the local and international judging panel”. Blumenthal’s Fat Duck came in at number 13.
Australian Brett Graham, whose London restaurant, The Ledbury, was last year’s highest new entry, rose 20 places to number one, taking the highest climber award.
The number one place went to Rene Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen for the third year running, and visitors will have a chance to sample his cooking during London 2012, when he will be cooking at Claridges for 10 days.
“It is great to see such accolades for the very best of British cooking. Our food, produce and great regional specialities are an asset to be promoted around the world, and add to the experience of international visitors,” says Director of Strategy and Communications at VisitBritain, Patricia Yates.
Food is one of the seven tourism pillars that VisitBritain is promoting around the world, using inspirational chef Jamie Oliver to invite the world to come to Britain and experience the very best of what it has to offer. With over 30,000 restaurants, and a range of dining experiences to be found in pubs and hotels across the UK, inbound visitor expenditure on food and beverages is worth over £4bn to the British economy each year.
Before the award presentation, the transformation of British food was celebrated at 10 Downing St, where top chefs and producers from across Britain helped launch ’Food is GREAT’. The event was part of a campaign to promote Britain as a great place to visit, invest in and do business with.
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