Newcastle Restaurant Week returns from August 5 to 11

NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week returns this summer with over 100 restaurants set to take part from Monday August 5 to Sunday August 11.

This is the 18th Newcastle Restaurant Week, offering diners the chance to visit some of the city’s top restaurants for £10 or £15 per head.

Of the 100 plus venues signed up for this summer’s event, newcomers to the local food scene such as Banyan and The Maven were quick to get involved.

Restaurant Week was inspired by New York, who created the original concept. NE1 launched its version of the event in 2011 to put a spotlight on the city’s restaurant scene and encourage people to try out some of the top restaurants.

Newcastle Restaurant Week was also the first of its kind in the UK and many other cities have since adopted the initiative to help their local businesses thrive.

The event was originally scheduled for January and August because these are traditionally quieter times of year for the hospitality industry.

8 years on and Restaurant Week is one of the busiest of the year, with many of the participating restaurants fully booked all week.

Last year’s summer event was NE1’s most successful to date with an estimated £500,000 boost in revenue for participating businesses and almost 50,000 people dining out throughout the week.

Ben Whitfield, head of marketing and events at NE1 Ltd, said: “Summer is always busy with the NE1 Summer in the City events programme and it is a great time to celebrate the great food on offer from the city’s best restaurants.

“It is one of our most popular events and is eagerly anticipated each January and August. The event has grown dramatically since its launch and reflects the expansion of the city’s restaurant scene – we now have more restaurants per square mile than any other Northern city, and the highest independent start up rate of any city outside London.

“We’re always delighted to welcome new restaurants into the fold and hope they have a successful week.”