The BRAVOs have returned to Brighton, for the third year, giving foodie fans the opportunity to vote for their favourite establishments.
In 2018, 27,053 votes were cast as members of the public gave BRAVOs to over 400 Sussex-wide venues and across 16 categories, establishing the competition as a central part of the local food and drink events calendar.
The BRAVOs (which stand for Brighton Restaurant Awards Vote Online) is the only entirely publicly generated food and drink awards in the city, giving the public a chance to shout out about their favourite venues.
Andrew Perry, who represents joint headline sponsor, Lauren-Perrier said, “Laurent-Perrier are extremely excited to be part of the BRAVO 2019. Brighton has an incredibly exciting and diverse food scene, forged by independent operators who continue to showcase their creative genius and reflect the people’s passion for quality. Maison familiale indépendante represents what Laurent-Perrier is, an independent family-owned champagne house. I feel this ethos also represents the venues who take part in BRAVO and the awards as a whole.”
2019 sees new categories in the BRAVOs in direct response to the ever-changing food scene. In November 2018, Restaurants Brighton ran a Facebook competition for the public to name a new category. Suggestions came in in their hundreds with “Sustainable Eats” catching the judges eye.
Joint Headline Sponsor, Phil Bartley of The Great British Charcuterie said of the new category, “In more and more Sussex venues we see the growing importance of locally and seasonally focused menus. Organic, high welfare and small production produce tastes better, is better for you and is better for the planet than the mass produced alternatives. I think how the public vote in the BRAVOs will reflect this and send a strong, positive message back to the industry.”
Another new category for 2019 is “Best International”; competition founder, Nick Harvey, explains the thinking behind the new category, “What makes for a great international restaurant isn’t any different to what makes any other restaurant great, which is why you can vote for any venue in up to five categories. With “Best International” we wanted to celebrate the cultural diversity of our city.
It’s really about how food can bring us together, how a great international restaurant can welcome us into their culture, or provide a taste of home.”
At the close of the BRAVOs it won’t just be venues winning, every member of the public who votes has the opportunity to win prizes up to £200, and every vote counts so the more a person votes, the more chance they have of winning.
Having a robust online presence is key to business success, and the BRAVOs are pivotal in helping restaurants, cafes and bars get noticed online and through social media. The team behind the BRAVOs are excited to announce the new look BRAVO website will be slicker and more fun to use than ever before, ensuring more members of the public will get involved.
If you want to support your favourite local food and drink destinations, have your say by voting at www.BrightonRestaurantAwards.co.uk.
Voting closes on 11th March, with the winners being announced online.
