FIRST NI TAKEAWAY AWARDS TO RECOGNISE LOCAL FOOD HEROES

By Love Belfast

June 23, 2021

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Taste of New York Pizza with DK Service Global. Pizza Takeaway winners

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One of the first high street casualties of the pandemic lockdown was the restaurant and hospitality sector, as their doors were forced to close to diners for safety measures.

However, as a truly resilient industry, chefs and their teams quickly adapted to ensure Northern Ireland foodies didn’t miss their fix of gourmet meals, with many establishments now offering takeaway and cook-at-home options.

This has radically changed the image and status of takeaway food in the last year, elevating it well beyond its traditional limits of pizza and Asian-inspired dishes.

And that is what inspired Andrew Benson and his fiancé Aine O’Kane to create the first NI Takeaway Awards. They want to celebrate the food heroes behind the scenes who have battled against the odds to keep the sector alive in the most challenging circumstances. The grand finale took place on Monday night (21 June) at The Crowe Plaza Hotel in Belfast.

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“We have previously staged the highly successful NI Fish and Chip Shop Awards, but like everyone, we had to adapt to the new COVID-safe regulations. With everything going on at the minute and takeaways being on the front line, we felt this was the perfect platform and time for our excellent food vendors to shine and get the recognition they deserve.

“Our local takeaways are the heartbeat of our high streets. From incredible Indians to perfect pizzerias, every town has its food heroes. We are recognising the dedication of local takeaways across a multitude of cuisines and celebrating their contribution to our economy,” Andrew Benson, managing director of AB Events, said.

Event Sponsor Dusan Kavcak, Managing Director of DK Service Global, believes his company’s partnership with the NI Takeaway Awards underscores the food sector’s commitment to hygiene and safety.

“DK Service Global was proud to sponsor this event, which was a great night and of course was the first ever awards ceremony since the pandemic. Our Omagh-based company has developed bespoke trademarked Protective Shield Technology to create safe and healthy environments for every facility, especially the food sector. We are working hard to help local businesses build confidence with their clients as consumers will recognise they have engaged the market-leading industry experts in the sanitisation field.

“These awards were an excellent opportunity to highlight all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to delivery brilliant food in a safe way,” he said.

Other event sponsor partners include River FM, So Good Juice, 38 Expresso, EB Gas Services, BP Foods, iDesign, Duct Services, Butlers Event Hire, D Foods and One Delivery.

But the top-quality takeaway services now offered by local cafes and restaurants have provided more than just an economic boost. They have delivered a psychological lift to consumers in lockdown by keeping them connected to their favourite eateries.

“It provides an excellent platform to highlight the great work of local producers and makers.

For many people during the lockdown, the weekend takeaway food treat has provided a much-needed psychological boost and tangible link to normality. However, I predict when lockdown lifts, food lovers will continue to want quality takeaway service, and this could provide an important increased revenue stream for the sector.”