Food fans in the north-east will be able to have their cake and eat it – at a discounted rate – as one of Aberdeen’s busiest food celebrations returns to the city.
Aberdeen Restaurant Week will take place once again this November celebrating the local hospitality scene.
Running across a two-week period for the second time, the event will take place from Monday November 1 to Sunday November 14.
The event was last held in November 2020 during a difficult time for hospitality and its fortnight extravaganza of deals and offers will see venues across the city open their doors with exclusive menus which are usually priced at £10 for a two-course lunch and £20 for a three-course meal.
Getting involved
Restaurateurs and owners are being encouraged by organisers Business Improvement District (BID), Aberdeen Inspired, to sign up for the free event with the opportunity to host afternoon teas, tasting menus and unique events, too, as well as discounted menus.
Venues involved in Aberdeen Restaurant Week previously have reported a huge increase in covers across the duration of the event, with many fully booked each night.
The event will continue to help support an industry in need following the toll the coronavirus pandemic has had on hospitality businesses over the past year and a half.
Louise MacLean, business development director at Signature Group, which boasts The Spiritualist and Paramount in its portfolio has always enjoyed great success during the week with The Spiritualist.
She said: “Last year we saw an increase in food sales of around 53% during the two weeks that the event ran.
“In addition to the increase in sales it also provides us with an opportunity to try out new dishes. This allows our culinary team to get creative and offer something exciting for our existing customers but also access and attract new customers through the increased profile the event provides.
“It is especially good at encouraging people to eat out on midweek nights when restaurants typically have seats to fill. We have participated in Aberdeen Restaurant Week for three years and would encourage any restaurant to join in to help highlight the flourishing food scene here in Aberdeen.”
Fully booked
DRG, owners of Amarone and Cafe Andaluz in Aberdeen experienced huge success in the 2019 instalment of Aberdeen Restaurant Week.
Nadine Carmichael, head of sales and marketing, added: “We love the atmosphere during Aberdeen Restaurant Week – we’ll be fully booked every day throughout.
“With over 1,700 customers dining in the restaurants during the event in 2019, I was astonished that 85% of bookers have had a repeat visit to one of our restaurants.
“You can bet when our team have their days off, they’ll be out trying out new places taking part too.”
And Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, is thrilled to see the event return.
“The event, which was extended to a foodie fortnight last year, really helps bring footfall safely into the city centre. It gives a big boost to the hospitality sector and the feedback we received from businesses at the time really brought home what a difference it made.
“A huge proportion of our businesses reported record covers over the duration of the event, with many opting to extend the promotion themselves as they had received such a good reaction from the public. We hope it will do exactly that when it returns and we would encourage interested restaurants and cafes to sign up and get involved as soon as possible.”
For more information on the event visit Aberdeen Inspired’s website.