Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards 2017 finalists revealed: The finalists for the Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards 2017 have been revealed. A total of 67 casual dining pub and restaurant operators have been nominated for awards across 14 categories, which cover everything from new concepts, menu innovation and employee engagement to marketing and design, as well as recognising the outstanding brands of the year. Due to popular demand and a long waiting list of attendees and sponsors in 2016, the awards are now moving to a new, bigger venue – Marriot London Grosvenor Square – on the evening of 22 February 2017, following the first day of next month’s Casual Dining show. Casual Dining’s group event director Chris Brazier 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 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 2017 finalists are:

Trailblazer of the Year sponsored by Lamb Weston: The winner is decided upon by the judging panel and announced on the night.

New Casual Dining Concept of the Year sponsored by Fresh Direct: Blackberry Grove, Liverpool; Levi Roots Caribbean Smokehouse, Westfield Stratford City; Oliver Maki, London; Trade Union, London.

Casual Dining Community Award sponsored by Casual Dining: The Breakfast Club; Las Iguanas; Pasta Remoli.

Casual Dining Marketing Campaign sponsored by Chef Direct: The Alchemist – The Alchemist that stole Christmas; Brasserie Blanc – Food for Thought 2016; Cabana - #RoadtoRio; Koh Thai Tapas – 2016 Marketing Campaign; Las Iguanas – Summer 2016 Championsheeps Family Dining Campaign; Marston’s – Tastes of the World; Pho – Snapchat campaign; Thaikhun – Kids Campaign.

Best Designed Independent Casual Dining Restaurant: Absurd Bird, Spitalfields, (designed by DesignLSM); Casita Andina, London (designed by Martin Morales & Cantor Masters); Chit Chaat Chai, London (designed by Avocado Sweets Design Studio); Cinnamon Bazaar, Covent Garden (designed by DesignLSM); Inamo, London, (designed by Philip Watts Design); MillWorks, Cambridge (designed by Loci Interiors); Mustard, Brook Green, London (designed by DesignLSM); The Vincent Café & Cocktail Bar, Liverpool (designed by DesignLSM).

Best Designed Multiple Casual Dining Restaurant sponsored by Commercial Kitchen – The Catering Equipment Show: ASK Italian, Gloucester Road, London (designed by Gundry & Ducker); Brasserie Blanc, Southbank, London (designed by Blacksheep Design Studio); Burger & Lobster, W Hotel, Leicester Square (designed by DesignLSM); Carluccio’s, Spital Square, London (designed by Fusion by Design); Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Bolton (designed by Moreno: Masey Architects & Interiors); MeatLiquor, Boxpark, Croydon (designed by Shed); Nando’s, Loughborough (designed by Moreno: Masey Architects & Interiors); PizzaExpress, Glossop (designed by Quadrant Design); Red’s True Barbecue, Newcastle (designed by DesignLSM); Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery, Coventry (designed by Mitchells & Butler); Thaikhun, Guildford (designed by JMDA Design).

Best Designed Casual Dining Pub or Bar: The Arbor House, Ipswich (designed in-house); The Club House, Liverpool (designed by Paul Danson Imagineering); Galvin HOP, Spitalfields (designed by DesignLSM); The Iron Duke, Wellington Somerset, (designed by KD Paine & Associates); The Rose & Crown, Orpington (designed by Whiting & Hammond); The Sheep on Sheep Street, Stow-on-the-Wold (designed by Brakspear).

Independent Casual Dining Pub of the Year sponsored by Budweiser Budvar: The Arbor House, Ipswich; The Augustus John, Fordingbridge; Cartwheel Inn, Whitsbury; Hatton Arms, Hatton; The Malt House, London.

Independent Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Artisan, Manchester; Inamo, London; Jack & Alice, Gerrards Cross; Kupp, London and Exeter; Lupita Central, London; Pasta Remoli, London; Pizza Pilgrims, London; Rub Smokehouse & Bars, various locations; Serrano & Manchego, Edinburgh; Whyte & Brown, London.

Small Casual Dining Employer of the Year: Jack & Alice; Pasta Remoli; Whyte & Brown.

Large Casual Dining Employer of the Year sponsored by Reynolds: Dishoom; MeatLiquor; The New World Trading Company; Peach Pub Company; Pizza Pilgrims; Revolution Bars Group.

Menu Innovation Award sponsored by Eurilait: ASK Italian; Casita Andina; Cosy Club; Kupp; La Tasca; Las Iguanas; Marston’s; The Nicholas Culpeper Pub & Dining (The Restaurant Group); Oliver Maki, London; Pasta Remoli.

Multiple Casual Dining Pub Brand of the Year sponsored by McCain Foodservice: The Botanist (New World Trading); Cheshire Cat Pubs & Bars; The Draft House; ETM Group; Harvester; Marston’s; Revolution Bars Group; Seafood Pub Company; White Brasserie Company (Brasserie Bar Co); Whiting & Hammond.

Multiple Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year sponsored by Bar Foods: ASK Italian; Brasserie Blanc; The Breakfast Club; Cosy Club; Gourmet Burger Kitchen; Giggling Squid; Koh Thai Tapas; Nando’s; PizzaExpress; Wagamama.

The judging panel consists of Karen Forrester, chief executive of TGI Friday’s UK; Keith Bird, commercial director of Gourmet Burger Kitchen; Jane Holbrook, chief operating officer of Wagamama; industry pioneer Ian Neill; Garry Duncan ,operations director of Nando’s UK & Ireland; Kate Nicholls, chief executive of The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers; Mark Fox, chief executive of Bill’s; Scott Collins, co-founder & managing director of MeatLiquor; Lizzie Barber, head of marketing at Cabana; Brian Whiting, owner of Whiting & Hammond; Joycelyn Neve, managing director of Seafood Pub Company; Paul Charity, managing director of Propel; Peter Martin, vice chairman of CGA Peach; Peter Backman, managing director of Horizons; Mark McCulloch, founder and chief executive of We Are Spectacular; Lorraine Wood, director of Arena; Tony Reynolds, managing director of Reynolds; David Worthington, chairman of Holmes & Marchant Design Group; Afroditi Krassa, founder of AfroditiKrassa; Tina Norden, project director at Conran and Partners; and Chris Brazier, group event director of Casual Dining.