Ramsons in Ramsbottom has beaten off strong competition from rival restaurants including London's Pied à Terre, to be named the winner of the Which? Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year award.
The award was presented to Ramsons by top chef Heston Blumenthal OBE, at a ceremony held at the British Museum today. Ramsons' chef, Mary-Ellen McTague, formerly worked with Blumenthal at The Fat Duck in Bray.
Ramsons won the award after being voted the public's favourite North West restaurant for the second year running. More than 20,000 members of the public voted for their top local independent restaurant to produce a shortlist of ten regional winners*.
Elizabeth Carter, Editor, The Good Food Guide, says:
"Ramsons is a stylish little restaurant, but also warm and welcoming - the sort of place you enter as a customer and leave as a friend. We were really impressed by the passion of owner Chris Johnson, and his talent for sourcing traceable and seasonal ingredients from local suppliers as well as superb Mediterranean produce from Italy. The restaurant's nurturing of young talent makes it a great role model for the industry, too. There was strong competition among the finalists, but Ramsons is really extraordinary."
The award was one of 12 presented today at the annual Which? Awards, held by consumer organisation Which? to celebrate the best products and services in the UK. The ceremony was hosted by news presenter Dermot Murnaghan, and Sir Stirling Moss OBE and Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne also took part in the event.
Notes to editors
For further information, an interview with a Good Food Guide spokesperson, or a photograph of the winner receiving the award, please contact Sarah Gartside or Miranda Akhurst.
Ramsons can be contacted on 01706 825070. To find out more about the Which? Awards log on to: www.which.co.uk/whichawards
[b]* Which? Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year
Ten regional winners were shortlisted for the award: [/b]
Wales - Fairyhill, Reynoldston
East England - Great House, Lavenham
London - Pied à Terre
Midlands - Perkins, Plumtree
Northern Ireland - Bay Tree, Holywood
North East - Weaver's Shed, Golcar
North West - Ramsons, Ramsbottom
Scotland - Ee-Usk, Oban
South East - Hungry Monk, Jevington
South West - Allium, Fairford
The Which? Awards 2008 - winners
Which? Award 2008 - Best Airline Singapore Airlines
Which? Award 2008 - Best Audio Visual Brand Panasonic
Which? Award 2008 - Best Broadband Provider Zen Internet
Which? Award 2008 - Best Carmaker Mazda
Which? Award 2008 - Best Credit Card Provider John Lewis Partnership
Which? Award 2008 - Best Current Account Provider Cahoot
Which? Award 2008 - Best Domestic Appliance Brand Miele
Which? Award 2008 - Best High Street Retailer Waitrose
Which? Award 2008 - Best Online Retailer Play.com
Which? Award 2008 - Best Value for Money Retailer Lidl
Which? Award 2008 - Which? Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year Ramsons, Ramsbottom
Which? Award 2008 - Consumer Champion of the Year John Fingleton, Chief Executive, Office of Fair Trading
