5th anniversary for NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant week

The popular event returns Jan 18 – 24, 2016

This January marks the 5th anniversary of Newcastle Restaurant Week, organised by NE1.

Over seven days (January 18-24), people will be able to dine in some of Newcastle’s finest restaurants for fixed price menus of either £10 or £15 per person.

Among the new eateries that have signed up are Bealim House, The Botanist, Viva Brazil, The Bottle Shop and Ko Sai from the new Fenwick Food Hall. They join a number of more established venues across the city.

NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week event has grown in stature and popularity since its launch in 2011 with participating businesses experiencing a 44 per cent increase in trade during the week. Last January, more than 35,000 people took advantage of NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week offers, equating to more than £350,000 worth of extra business for participating restaurants.

To support and to celebrate the industry, NE1 devised the Restaurant Week initiative to support and celebrate the restaurant industry in Newcastle and was modelled on a similar scheme that operates successfully in New York City.

Now more than 80 restaurants take part and the weeks (held in January and August).

NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week is a unique formula, nowhere else in the UK operates an event like it, which is so simple and easy to communicate to consumers as well as being easily adopted by restaurants.

Chef and restaurateur Terry Laybourne, of 21 Hospitality Group was one of the founding restaurateurs who came up with the idea for the event and has supported every NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week since. he said: “NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week has become a keenly anticipated calendar fixture among foodies and general diners; it’s a wonderful opportunity to go out and try several restaurants for a fraction of the normal cost. It’s great to see those passionate about food and hospitality working together to promote NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week.”

Stephen Patterson, director of communications at NE1 Ltd added: “We’ve reached a 5th anniversary milestone for NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week at a time when the city’s restaurant scene is expanding and getting ever stronger. We are proud of the event and of the restaurant community it supports and promotes. Over the last five years 43 new restaurants have opened in the city and this growth looks set to continue with 26 scheduled to open in 2016 alone. I’m struggling to choose which restaurants I’ll be booking into this January.”

For a full list of participating restaurants and offers, visit www.getintonewcastle.co.uk/restaurantweek and to get involved follow the hashtag #NE1RestaurantWeek on Twitter