Top Restaurants, Pubs & Bars Shortlisted for Prestigious 2025 Casual Dining Awards

The Shortlist for the 2025 Casual Dining Awards has been announced. These esteemed awards recognise excellence in multi-site restaurants, pubs & bars and highlight their outstanding achievements in areas such as menu innovation, marketing, sustainability and more.

Leading brands and operators including wagamama, Nando’s, Fullers, Hawksmoor, Young’s, Dishoom, Caravan, Loungers (and others) have made the shortlist.

The Casual Dining Awards in association with The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show (the new name for Casual Dining) is organised by Diversified and will be held at the lavish 5-star London Marriott Hotel in Grosvenor Square on 24 April 2025. The 2025 winners will be announced on the night across 19 categories, encompassing noteworthy titles such as Pub/Bar Brand of the Year, Restaurant Brand of the Year, Opening of the Year, New Concept of the Year, Menu Innovation Award, Brand Marketing of the Year, Best Designed Site of the Year, Sustainable Operator, Casual Dining Group of the Year and more.

The Trailblazer of The Year Award (Sponsored by Uber Eats), The Special Award, and The Legendary Brand Award (Sponsored by Coca-Cola Europacific Partners) will be announced on the night of the awards.

The Casual Dining Awards 2025 shortlist in full:

NEW CONCEPT OF THE YEAR

• Agora
• Akara
• Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer
• Café François
• Orleans Smokehouse

OPENING OF THE YEAR

• Albert’s Schloss – Soho
• Blacklock – Manchester
• Caravan – Manchester
• Flat Iron – Manchester
• Los Mochis – London City
• Wahaca – Paddington

SUSTAINABLE OPERATOR AWARD

• Ask Italian
• Caravan
• Faber
• Hawksmoor
• Nando’s
• Pizza Pilgrims
• Wahaca

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR (1-49 SITES) – sponsored by HOWDEN the new name for Aston Lark

• Blacklock
• Caravan
• Dishoom
• Hawksmoor
• Mission Mars
• Mowgli
• Pizza Pilgrims

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR (50+ SITES)

• Franco Manca
• Fullers
• Loungers
• Nando’s
• Turtle Bay
• Wagamama
• Young’s

MENU INNOVATION AWARD (1-25 SITES) – sponsored by FRESH DIRECT

• Albert’s Schloss
• The Alchemist
• Brother Marcus
• Caravan
• Chapter Collection by Stonegate Group
• Dishoom
• Pizza Pilgrims

MENU INNOVATION AWARD (26+ SITES) – sponsored by LA LORRAINE BAKERY GROUP

• Ask Italian
• Greene King
• PizzaExpress
• Turtle Bay
• Wagamama

BRAND MARKETING OF THE YEAR – sponsored by IPW1

• Ask Italian
• Bella Italia
• Bill’s
• Dishoom
• Pizza Pilgrims
• Wagamama
• Wahaca

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY – sponsored by HGEM

• Azzurri Group
• Bill’s
• Flight Club
• PizzaExpress
• Stonegate Group
• Wagamama

BEST DESIGNED SITE OF THE YEAR

• Albert’s Schloss – Soho – with JSA Design
• Blacklock – Manchester – with Other Side
• Caravan – Manchester – with Other Side
• Lina Stores – South Kensington – with North End Design
• Rosa’s Thai – Bristol – with Quadrant Design
• Wahaca – Paddington – with Chris Bagot Architects

BEST FAMILY DINING EXPERIENCE 

• Bella Italia
• Bill’s
• PizzaExpress
• Wagamama
• Wahaca
• Zizzi

PUB/BAR BRAND OF THE YEAR (1-49 SITES)

• Albert’s Schloss
• The Alchemist
• Arc Inspirations
• The Devonshire
• Heartwood Inns
• Inception Group

PUB/BAR BRAND OF THE YEAR (50+ SITES) – sponsored by FUNKIN COCKTAILS

• Brunning & Price
• Fullers
• Greene King
• JD Wetherspoon
• Loungers
• Urban Pubs & Bars
• Young’s

RESTAURANT BRAND OF THE YEAR (1 – 19 SITES)

• Blacklock
• Brother Marcus
• Caravan
• Dishoom
• Flat Iron
• Hawksmoor

RESTAURANT BRAND OF THE YEAR (20-50 SITES) – sponsored by BIDFOOD

• Bill’s
• The Ivy
• Mowgli
• Pho
• Pizza Pilgrims
• Rosa’s Thai
• Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana

RESTAURANT BRAND OF THE YEAR (51+ SITES) – sponsored by AMERICAN EXPRESS

• Côte
• Franco Manca
• Miller & Carter
• Nando’s
• PizzaExpress
• Turtle Bay
• Wagamama

CASUAL DINING GROUP OF THE YEAR – sponsored by REYNOLDS

• Azzurri Group
• The Big Table
• JKS
• Loungers
• Mission Mars
• Mitchells & Butlers
• The Restaurant Group

The judges

The awards will be judged by an esteemed list of industry judges, including Ajith Jayawickrema, Founder Director, Turtle Bay; Brian Trollip, CEO, Dishoom; David Campbell, Chair, Ole & Steen/Rare Restaurants; Gavin Adair, Non-Executive Director, Rosa’s Thai; Jane O’Riordan, Chair, Caravan/Red Engine/Turtle Bay; Jo Fleet, Managing Director, Caravan; Jon Knight, MD – Leisure & Concessions, The Restaurant Group; Kate Nicholls, CEO, UKHospitality; Libby Andrews, Marketing Director, Pho; Mark McCulloch, Founder & CEO, Supersonic Inc; Nisha Katona, Founder & CEO, Mowgli Street Food; Peter Martin, Founder & Executive Director, Peach 20/20; Shereen Ritchie, Former CEO, buns from home, and Thom Elliot, Co-Founder, Pizza Pilgrims.

Book your ticket  

The Casual Dining Awards take place at London Marriott, Grosvenor Square on Thursday 24 April. As well as a drinks reception and a 3-course meal, a major celebrity entertainer will be announced as the host soon. Tickets are on sale now and are already selling fast.  To secure your spot, please visit cdawards.co.uk/book-a-table.

The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show

The definitive restaurant, pub and bar event (formerly known as Casual Dining) returns to Excel London on 24-25 September 2025. The show will once again be co-located with lunch! – the definitive café, coffee shop food-to-go event. For more information, please visit www.nrpbs.co.uk.