The Edinburgh Evening News Restaurant Awards 2020 have been cancelled

The awards are expected to return in Spring 2021.

The Edinburgh Evening News Restaurant Awards which were originally due to take place in April and then postponed have been cancelled.

Nominations began in February this year and called upon readers to champion their favourite local eateries in a wide variety of categories, however when the country was put into lockdown the glittering awards ceremony due to take place at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa was pushed back until October.

Due to ongoing uncertainties caused by the virus, a decision was made to cancel this year’s restaurant awards.

Local eateries in the Capital have faced unprecedented difficulties due to being closed down for months with the loss of this year’s Fringe Festival and tourism industry from Edinburgh. Many restaurants have been forced to make difficult redundancies, or even close for good.

Foodies in Edinburgh nominated hundreds of their favourite restaurants to be judged for the awards over several months and judging by an expert panel was set to take place ahead of lockdown. Categories included were Chef of the Year, Sommelier of the Year, Fine Dining Experience, Best Newcomer, Best Street Food, Best Vegetarian/Vegan, Best Customer Service, Edinburgh’s Hidden Gem and the prestigious awards of Edinburgh Restaurant of the Year.

Sponsors of the event are Innis and Gunn, What the Fork, Quandoo, Chef Works and Off to Work, all which the Edinburgh Evening News team wish to extend a special thank you for their support of the event, especially in unprecedented times.

While the restaurant awards this year have been cancelled, the event is expected to return in Spring 2021.

Alan Young, Head of Content said: “It is a disappointment that this year due to the pandemic that we have had to cancel the prestigious Edinburgh Restaurant Awards.

"The hospitality industry in Edinburgh is increasingly important to the city’s economy and for those of us lucky enough to live in Edinburgh and the Lothians, a joyful indulgence. Instead of the awards ceremony this year, the Edinburgh Evening News wishes to support all local businesses who have faced unprecedented struggles due to the coronavirus pandemic as we are all in this pandemic together.”