Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year Awards bring back £100k cash injection for one small business, fronted by Comedian and Food Podcaster Ed Gamble

Uber Eats is turning up the heat on the UK food scene as its hotly anticipated Restaurant of the Year Awards make a triumphant, high-stakes return – with voting now open.

Back for a milestone fifth year, the 2026 edition cranks up the competition with a life-changing £100,000 prize for the ultimate winner to supercharge their business. To celebrate ten years since first launching in London, Uber Eats is also doubling down on its support for small businesses by launching anniversary prizes, extending £25,000 and £10,000 cash prizes for 2nd and 3rd place respectively for the first time.

Heading up this year’s judging panel is acclaimed comedian, award-winning podcaster, and food authority Ed Gamble. Bringing his elite dining expertise and signature wit to the table, Gamble’s appointment elevates the competition to delicious new heights.

Ed Gamble, Comedian and Food Podcaster, said: “I’ve dedicated most of my adult life to thinking about, talking about, and tasting new food, so being named Head Judge is hugely exciting for me. The UK high street is absolutely bursting with culinary genius right now. I can’t wait to dive into the shortlist and help crown the next big thing.”

Ed is joined on the judging panel by some of the most recognisable names in food culture today:

Seema Pankhania, chef, cookbook author and leading food creator
Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality
Merve Basci, General Manager of Uber Eats UK
Eating with Todd, the UK’s most prominent food creator
Chris Riley, Founder of Silver’s Deli and 2025 Restaurant of the Year winner.

Public voting is now open for 45 exceptional nominees spread across 9 UK regions. This year’s shortlist is the most competitive so far, representing the absolute best of the British high street.

This year, Uber Eats is also proud to launch the ‘Anniversary Awards’, a brand-new honour designed to mark ten years of championing the UK’s restaurant industry. This category will spotlight an individual’s extraordinary impact on the hospitality sector, as well as a surprise announcement celebrating a specific restaurant’s remarkable achievements and resilience over a five-year span.

Merve Basci, General Manager of Uber Eats UK, said: “This year’s Restaurant of the Year Awards are about more than just celebrating great food – we’re also honouring our ten-year delivery journey in the UK. Recognising that it has been an especially challenging time for our hospitality partners, we are investing more than ever into this anniversary prize program to support the future of the British high street. Between Ed Gamble leading our brilliant judging panel and the introduction of new awards and runner-up prizes, this promises to be our biggest and most anticipated competition yet.”

Over 60% of restaurants on the Uber Eats platform are small or medium-sized businesses, and last year’s winner, Silver’s Deli, has gained national recognition since being crowned Restaurant of the Year 2025, including a visit from Marco Pierre White.

“Winning Restaurant of the Year was life-changing,” said Chris Riley, founder of Silver’s Deli. “We’ve been able to host a grand re-opening of our restaurant and we’ve grown faster than we ever imagined. We’re super proud to be part of this delivery community and to be returning as a judge to help more independent businesses show up and celebrate on the national stage.”

Uber Eats is inviting the public to rally behind their local favourites via ubereatsawards.com. Public voting is open until 23:59 on 30th July 2026. With 45 restaurants vying for national glory, community passion will decide who makes it to the top. Full competition Terms and conditions can be found here.

The culinary battle will culminate in a star-studded awards ceremony in London later this year, where regional winners, industry leaders, and special guests will gather to see who takes home the ultimate crown.

2026 REGIONAL NOMINEES

Central London