Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards 2016 unveils finalists: Brands including JD Wetherspoon, Young’s, Revolution, ASK Italian, Jamie’s Italian, Carluccio’s, Côte Restaurants, Wagamama, Nando’s, Ed’s Easy Diner, Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK), and Pizza Hut, have made the shortlists for this year’s first Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards. They’re among 48 casual dining pub and restaurant operators competing for awards across 12 categories, which cover everything from new concepts, social responsibility and employee engagement to marketing and design, as well as recognising the outstanding brands of the year. The awards – launched to celebrate excellence within the growing multi-billion pound casual dining sector – will be presented at a prestigious awards dinner on the evening of 24 February 2016 at The Grange St. Paul’s Hotel in London, following the first day of next month’s Casual Dining Show. Diversified UK’s award manager Louisa Pope said: “The casual dining market is thriving, thanks in large part to the fantastic innovations and dedication of operators and the incredible dining experience they offer. The launch of the Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards is a fantastic way to celebrate their achievements and reward those companies who are making a real difference to the growth of this sector. The calibre of entries has been incredible, congratulations and good luck to all our shortlisted finalists.” Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards 2016 finalists are: New Casual Dining Concept of the Year: Coba, Filthy Cow, Hood Restaurants, Project Pie, The Beer Kitchen, WM Barker & Co; The Social Responsibility Awards: Ed’s Easy Diner, The Breakfast Club, The King’s Head, Winchester; Casual Dining Marketing Campaign of the Year: ASK Italian – #FeedYourTemptation, Cabana – #WeAreBrasil, Chiquito - #SayFreeze, Pizza Hut – Taste Freedom, The Fox – Direct Mail Campaign, WM Barker & Co – Will’s Campaign, Zizzi – #ZizziTacklesCancer; Best Designed Independent Casual Dining Restaurant: Bonfire at the Barbican, London (designed by Catering Design Group), Ceviche, Old Street, London (designed by Martin Morales & Fabled Studio), Chai Ki, Canary Wharf, London (designed by DesignLSM); Filthy Cow, Manchester (designed by Mystery;) KuPP, Merchant Square, London (designed by DesignLSM); Sulvaki, Bateman St, London (designed by AfroditiKrassa); Best Designed Multiple Casual Dining Restaurant: Burger & Lobster, Threadneedle Street, London (designed by DesignLSM), Carluccio’s, Market Place, London (designed by DesignLSM), GBK, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow (designed by moreno:masey), MeatLiquor, Upper Street, London (designed by Shed) Nando’s, Guildhall, Southampton (designed by moreno:masey), Thaikhun Thai Restaurant, London (designed by Thai Leisure Group), Wondertree, South Terminal, Gatwick Airport (designed by FusionDNA); Best Designed Causal Dining Pub or Bar: The Blue Ball, Tadworth, Surrey (designed by The JS Design Partnership); The Cock Inn, Headley, Surrey (designed by Jones Architecture Design); The Great Wood, Blanchardstown, Ireland (designed by KD Paine & Associates); The Pint Shop, Cambridge (designed by Macaulay Sinclair); WM Barker & Co, Bishopgate, London (designed by Jane Holme, Young & Co’s Brewery); Independent Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Filthy Cow, Manchester, Hood Streatham, London; Hubbox, Plymouth, Project Pie, Dundee, The Yorkshire Meatball Co., Harrogate; Independent Casual Dining Pub of the Year: The Bull, Ditchling, Sussex, The Gloucester Old Spot, Bristol, The Long Melford Swan, Suffolk, The Northey Arms, Bath, Little Gems Country Dining: The Park Pub & Kitchen, Bedford; The Swan Inn, Denham, Buckinghamshire, The Pint Shop, Cambridge; Employer of the Year: Brunning & Price, Burger & Lobster, Dishoom, Jamie’s Italian, The Breakfast Club and Wagamama; Multiple Casual Dining Pub Brand of the Year: Geronimo Inns, JD Wetherspoon, Revolution Bars Group, Sizzling Pubs, Whiting & Hammond; Multiple Causal Dining Restaurant of the Year: ASK Italian, Burger & Lobster, CAU Restaurants, Chiquito, Côte Restaurants, Thaikhun Thai Restaurant, Vapiano, Wagamama. The winner of the casual dining “Champion of the year” award, nominated by the judges, is to be announced on the night. The inaugural judging panel includes Karen Forrester, chief executive of TGI Friday’s UK; Keith Bird, chief operating officer of GBK; Kate Nicholls, chief executive of The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers; Anthony Pender, chairman of the British Institute of Innkeepers; Paul Charity, managing director of Propel; Peter Martin, vice-chairman of CGA Peach; industry pioneer Ian Neill; Alex Reilley, executive vice-chairman of Loungers; Lorraine Wood, director of Arena; Mark McCulloch, founder and chief executive of WE ARE Spectacular; David Worthington, chairman of Holmes & Marchant Design Group; Afroditi Krassa, founder of AfroditiKrassa; Theo Williams, designer and creative director of Theo Williams; Tina Norden, project director at Conran and Partners; and Chris Brazier, group event director of Casual Dining.