New categories announced for the Eat Out Awards

The awards will complement the existing: Restaurant Of The Year; the Top 10 Restaurants; Chef Of The Year; the Service Excellence Award; and the Lannice Snyman Lifetime Achievement Award.

Another major change for this year's awards is the fact that there is only one judge. Abigail Donnelly, the editor of Eat Out, will judge the 2011 Eat Out Restaurant Awards. "We felt that now was the time to include the voices of our audiences," said Anelde Greeff, Eat Out's content director, of the decision to have only one judge. "Everything Eat Out does is informed by the panel of over 30 reviewers and the very vocal online audience of 70 000 users. They deliver consistent feedback about their dining experiences throughout the year and it is these experiences that will help guide Abigail specifically in the selection of the winners of our new categories: Best of Asian, Italian, Steakhouse, Country-Style and Bistro," she added.

Thorough and extensive nomination process

The nomination process is thorough and extensive. The premier award winners are selected from a shortlist of 20 nominees, while the new categories have a shortlist of 10 restaurants per theme, per region. Along with Donnelly's extensive knowledge of the industry, the compilation of the shortlists is also guided by Eat Out's national panel of over 30 professional restaurant reviewers.

The criteria are stringent and Donnelly has been eating her way around South Africa in a quest to find the top restaurants that meet these standards. To be considered for a place in the Top 10, an establishment needs to have been open since November 2010, the owners and chef must show an absolute passion for their business and a dedication to the upliftment of the industry, the chefs must care about where their produce comes from and excellence must be consistently seen in every aspect of the business.

"I want to taste the care, passion and dedication"

The restaurants will be judged on food, service and ambience, and a multitude of other aspects that make or break the eating-out experience. "While flavours and textures often command the most attention during a dining experience," said Donnelly, "it is the more subtle care taken with food that will set a great restaurant apart. My philosophy is that taste is the emotional component of a dish. I want to taste the care, passion and dedication. I want to feel an uplifting philosophy that shines through all elements of the restaurant."

The 2011 Eat Out Restaurant Awards will take place in Cape Town at The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay on Sunday, 20 November. A limited number of tickets are available to the public via www.eatout.co.za.

"The Eat Out Restaurant Awards celebrate the best of the South African restaurant industry, from the chefs who prepare world-class dishes to the waitrons who are the face of the industry, to the patrons who are hungry for new experiences. We seek out restaurants that demonstrate genuine greatness and we hope to inspire our culinary industry to do their very best," Donnelly ended.