Member Article

Newcastle Restaurant Week back with bumper choice

Newcastle’s successful Restaurant Week concept is back at the end of the month, with over 360% more restaurants involved since its inception in 2011.

The New York-inspired NE1 scheme offers diners to try the city’s restaurants for low-cost, fixed-price menus, over the course of a week.

This year’s week will incorporate 60 eateries as the scheme aims to drive covers at a traditionally quiet time of year for the restaurant industry.

Terry Laybourne of 21 Hospitality Group said: “NE1 galvanised the city’s restaurateurs. No individual, or business could have delivered the initiative on their own, not only would it have been too time consuming to organise but they would not have had the marketing clout or budget to invest in making it happen.

“NE1 brought all this to the table and was able to encourage businesses to put aside their competitive differences and work together to deliver Restaurant Week.

“The results speak for themselves; over 60 of the city’s top restaurants now participate in the event, experiencing an average 43% increase in sales. As well as the tangible commercial benefit for the participating restaurants, it creates an incredible buzz in the city centre and its restaurants during what were the quietest times of the year.”

Restaurant week started three years ago with a roster of 13 Newcastle restaurants. According to NE1 the scheme now drives 43% more business for those participating, in January and in August.

Andy Hook, owner of Blackfriars, added: “NE1 has hugely supported and raised the profile of the city’s vibrant restaurant scene with Newcastle Restaurant Week and has encouraged new visitors to try my restaurant, Blackfriars.

“A whole new group of ‘regulars’ have been spawned by previous Restaurant Weeks and we are confident that January will be no exception.”

Restaurant Week runs January 27 - February 2. A full list of participating restaurants, and more information, can be found here.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .