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The UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards 2025: Meet the judges
In March 2026, we will launch the third edition of The UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards – an edit of the best new openings from across the country, as decided by a panel of judges made up of award-winning chefs, restaurant critics, and food and wine writers. This panel of 11 esteemed members of the UK’s foodie community sit down (over lunch, of course) to debate which openings throughout 2025 deserve to be recognised as the very best.
How does The UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards judging work?
Each January, Condé Nast Traveller gets together with its selected judging panel to discuss and debate the merits of a shortlist of restaurants which have opened all across the UK during the previous calendar year. Together, we come up with a list of award-winning restaurants, as well as some special awards given to a handful of impressive people in the industry. In March, we throw a big party to celebrate all the winners.
Who are the judges this year?
This year, the judges include:
- Restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa
- Chef Sami Tamimi
- Wine writer Hannah Crosbie
- Chef Romy Gill MBE
- Chef Julie Lin
- Chef Margot Henderson OBE
- Food writer Tom Parker Bowles
- Chef Gurdeep Loyal
- Chef Gizzi Erskine
- Chef Clare Ptak
- Condé Nast Traveller digital editor Sarah James
Keep reading to hear more from this year’s judging panel – and keep your eyes peeled for the announcement of the winners in March 2026.
Restaurant critic Jimi Famurewa
Jimi is a multi-award-winning British-Nigerian restaurant critic, food writer and broadcaster. He is the author of two books, a regular guest judge on MasterChef and a contributing editor at Broadsheet London. He told us, “In just two years, the UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards have already established themselves as a coveted accolade and reliable barometer for all that’s exciting in Britain’s dining scene. It’s a total privilege to get the chance to have some (good-natured) arguments with my fellow judges about who should be part of the class of 2025. I’ll be looking for restaurants that have truly innovated, brought something new to the table, and been able to build the sort of sustained, legitimate buzz that continues long after the opening hype has faded.”
Chef Sami Tamimi
Sami was born and raised in Jerusalem and was immersed in food from a young age. He started his career as a commis chef in a Jerusalem hotel, and moved to London in 1997, and worked at Baker & Spice as head chef. In 2002, he partnered with Noam Bar and Yotam Ottolenghi to set up Ottolenghi in Notting Hill. Alongside Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi is co-author of two bestselling cookbooks: Ottolenghi: The Cookbook and Jerusalem: A Cookbook, which the New York Times recently named as one of the 25 most influential cookbooks from the last 100 years. Sami’s third cookbook Falastin is co-authored with Tara Wigley and won the Fortnum & Mason Cookery Book of the Year 2021. Sami’s first solo cookbook, Boustany has been published in the summer of 2025. He told us, “There has been a real surge of imaginative cooking across the UK, from small neighbourhood rooms to larger, more ambitious openings. Our industry is wonderfully varied, and that always makes me excited for judging.”
Wine writer Hannah Crosbie
Hannah is a wine writer, author and broadcaster. In 2025, she was named as the new drinks columnist for The Observer, after a stint as The Guardian’s wine critic. She poured her first bottle in a restaurant when she was a teenager (legally), and has since spent most of her working life connecting with everyday drinkers via newspapers, telly, books and memes. She told us, “I am looking for the F factor – fun! Great restaurants allow for moments of escapism and connection. There’s plenty to be excited about this year. Not only have fun new openings and iconic restaurants been rewriting the playbook, but every restaurant that has borne the economic challenges of the past year also deserves an award.”
Chef Romy Gill MBE
Romy is a prominent figure in the culinary world, known for her expertise in Indian cuisine, vibrant personality, and dedication to charitable causes. Based in the southwest of England, she has left an indelible mark on the culinary landscape. As the former owner and head chef of Romy’s Kitchen, Romy garnered widespread acclaim for her innovative approach to Indian cooking. She told us, “I’m excited for this year’s Top New Restaurant Awards because it’s an opportunity to witness incredible talent, dedication, and innovation firsthand. Each restaurant brings a unique perspective, and I’m honoured to help recognise and celebrate the talent.”
Chef Julie Lin
Julie is the author of the best-selling debut cookbook Sama Sama, a BBC Travel presenter, and a Bib Gourmand-awarded chef whose work in Scotland has helped shape the evolving landscape of modern dining. A former award-winning restaurateur, she has built a reputation for soulful food, vibrant storytelling, and a commitment to celebrating culture through the joy of cooking. She told us, “This awards ceremony means so much to me, it promises hope in the restaurant industry and shines a light on those being brave and emboldened to continue our magical industry. Conde Nast has been a global cultural staple for decades, setting the global standards in taste. So this prestigious award will be a massive platform for restaurants to shine on. This year, I’m looking for a restaurant with soul. I want to see someone at the helm who is cooking great food and shaping a better future for the industry. The kind of restaurant that reminds you why food and people matter, that brings everyone together over a delicious dish, is one of the great reasons to love life.”
Chef Gurdeep Loyal
Gurdeep is an award-winning food/travel writer and culinary trends expert. He is the author of ‘Flavour Heroes – 15 Modern Pantry Ingredients To Amplify Your Cooking’ and was the winner of the Jane Grigson Trust Award for his debut cookbook, ‘Mother Tongue – Flavours of a Second Generation’. He has over 20 years’ experience in food and drink – building his career at Innocent Drinks, Harrods Food Halls and M&S Food. He told us, “The range of new restaurants that have opened around the country is thrilling right now – from farm-to-fork fine dining to diasporic popups, there’s so much breadth in new openings right now. Ingredient, sourcing and sustainability are leading principles of restaurants at every touchpoint, I’m really excited by. Also, some incredible underrepresented cuisines are finally getting on the culinary map, which I just love. I’m looking for cooking that tells stories, environments with a sense of stylish flair, food you keep thinking about long after you’ve eaten it and service that makes you feel warmly welcomed from the minute you book.”
Food writer Tom Parker Bowles
Tom is the restaurant critic for The Mail on Sunday and Food Editor of Esquire, writing a monthly column for County Life, and has been on The UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards judging panel since its inception in 2022. He is a regular judge on BBC’s MasterChef, and is the author of nine books. His latest, Let’s Eat: Recipes From My Kitchen Notebook, was released in April 2025. Looking ahead to next year’s awards, he said, “As ever, I’m excited about seeking out new talent and celebrating the very best of British restaurants. A great restaurant is about so much more than the food. There’s the service, the atmosphere, the lighting and the very soul. Our winners need to possess them all and make us desperate to return.”
Chef Gizzi Erskine
Gizzi is a chef and award-winning food writer who has a column on food subculture and women’s issues in The i. This is her third consecutive year on the judging panel for The UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards – she’s even written profiles of some of our esteemed previous winners, including Ones to Watch Natty Can Cook and Ruben Dawnay. Ahead of the 2026 judging process, she told us, “It’s been really interesting seeing how hospitality has evolved this year. We’ve seen loads of new exciting openings, and I think there’s been less doom and gloom – we have an industry that’s really worth celebrating.” When asked what she’s after when considering this year’s nominees, she added, “I’m looking for head-turning originality and food that’s reflective of the UK being diverse and culturally rich.”
Chef Clare Ptak
Claire is the owner and executive chef of Violet Cakes, the East London cake shop making cakes for leaders in the arts, fashion, media and culture for the last 20 years. In December 2024, Claire opened her second location in Mayfair inside the Alaïa flagship store on New Bond Street. She said, “I’m so excited to be asked to participate in this this year – I’m in my judging era! Of course, I love Condé Nast Traveller and love restaurants, and I’m super excited to see what’s out there at the moment.” She added, “Careful sourcing of ingredients is, of course, super important to me. So is great service! I’m looking for a place that makes you feel like you can only find it there – somewhere that’s a true experience.”
Chef Margot Henderson OBE
Margot Henderson OBE is a New Zealand-born chef, restaurateur and co-founder of Rochelle Canteen. Margot is known for her no-nonsense, seasonal and produce-led cooking, and has worked in some of the leading kitchens across London, including The Eagle, where she met Fergus Henderson (who was soon to become her husband and fellow chef). The pair went on to open the dining room at the iconic French House in Soho. Shortly after meeting Margot, Melanie Arnold also became involved in The French House. Margot and Melanie provided outside catering for galleries around Soho, whose members had frequented The French House, and so Arnold & Henderson was born. They opened Rochelle Canteen in 2006, which continues to offer a daily-changing menu that stays close to the seasons. Margot’s latest culinary venture has been at The Three Horseshoes in Batcombe, Somerset, where, alongside Head Chef Nye Smith, she crafts menus centred on seasonality, with food that is heartfelt, wholesome and filled with Somerset produce. She told us, “I am excited about this year’s new restaurant list, as there have been so many exciting openings recently, and the standard of food across Britain is reaching impressive new highs. We now have such a rich and diverse culinary culture to celebrate. What is there not to be excited about?”
Condé Nast Traveller digital editor Sarah James
Sarah is the digital editor at Condé Nast Traveller, where she’s been eating her way around London and the UK’s best restaurants since 2017. She’s been working on The UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards since its first-ever, 2022 iteration, and is joining the judging panel for the first time this year. She said, “The UK’s Top New Restaurant Awards is such a joy to work on – I love spotlighting amazing chefs and restaurateurs doing innovative, delicious things up and down the country – the more unexpected the better!”
