A restaurant group with a branch in Bristol has won big at Deliveroo's annual awards.
The Athenian was up against tough competition in the coveted Restaurant of The Year category, judged by a celebrity panel including Maya Jama, Vogue Williams and Riyadh Khalaf, but came out on top.
More than 400,000 votes were cast by Brits to select winners across 18 categories, with a total of six Bristol restaurants up for awards.
Pizzarova, Boston Tea Party, Woky Ko, Taka Taka and Oowee Vegan - which won big last year - were all shortlisted across six separate categories, but it was The Athenian that impressed the judges most.
Founded by two Londoners born and raised in Athens and Cyprus, The Athenian started off as a small street food venture in the capital serving freshly made souvlaki.
With a 40 per cent plant-based menu, it quickly gained a cult following for its authentic, fresh and nutritious food, and expanded to seven locations in London along with locations in Bristol, Birmingham, Brighton, Cambridge, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester and Reading.
The group's Bristol restaurant opened at Cargo, Wapping Wharf, in 2017 and has proved hugely popular ever since.
Speaking about The Athenian's win, Deliveroo said the company has gone "above and beyond to support their staff" throughout the pandemic.
A spokesperson for the delivery platform said: "Congratulations to the team behind The Athenian, who have shown amazing commitment to delivery, launching in new areas to deliver their food to more people than ever before.
"They’ve gone above and beyond to support their staff and have had their safety at the front of every decision they've made, coupled with a desire to continue serving their amazing food to their loyal customers.
"They delivered meals to NHS workers and offer discounts to staff in-store.
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"They also brought customers at home some much-needed joy, offering a series of Instagram cook-a-longs, where people could order the ingredients and learn how to make some of their most popular dishes."
