logo
10 restaurants in Wales named among best in UK

10 restaurants in Wales named among best in UK

Wales Online02-07-2025
10 restaurants in Wales named among best in UK
Restaurants in Cardiff, Cwmbran and Swansea are all vying for a much sought after award
The Sando chicken burger at Fowl & Fury in Cardiff, which is in the running for the award
(Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne )
Uber Eats is turning up the heat on the Welsh food scene with the return of its hotly anticipated restaurant of the year awards. Ten restaurants are vying for the crown this year, and will be judged by a panel of some of the most recognisable names in food.
These include Levi Roots, famed entrepreneur and musician; Clodagh McKenna, Irish celebrity chef and TV host; and last year's standout winner, Natty Crutchfield, whose restaurant went from cult hit to national fame.
Now in their fourth year, the awards aim to recognise the contributions of small and independently run restaurants to their local communities and the food industry.
In 2025, one standout restaurant will be crowned overall restaurant of the year, winning £100,000 to invest in its growth. All finalists will also receive a £5,000 prize and a tailored support package from Uber Eats to help boost their businesses. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here .
In Wales, there are eight Cardiff restaurants in the running, one in Cwmbran, and one in Swansea.
The nominees are as follows.
Article continues below
Sharkbite Burgers – Cwmbran
Poutine Box – Cardiff
Fowl & Fury – Cardiff
Tuk Tuk – Cardiff
The Indian Street Kitchen – Swansea
Lyalena Lounge – Cardiff
Scaramantica Pizzeria – Cardiff
SouvLike – Cardiff
Chans noodle bar – Cardiff
Albany Fish Bar – Cardiff
This year, Uber Eats has launched the 'next gen trailblazer award', a brand-new honour designed to spotlight hospitality entrepreneurs under the age of 27 who are "innovating, inspiring, and disrupting" the food scene.
The winner will receive a £10,000 business development grant and support package.
The new award will be judged by Seema Pankhania, content creator and author of best-selling cookbook, Craveable.
General manager of Uber Eats UK, Ireland and Northern Europe, Matthew Price, said: 'The Restaurant of the Year Awards are not just celebrating restaurants, we're investing in the future of food.
"The new next gen trailblazer award is a bold step in backing the young innovators who are rewriting the rules of hospitality."
The awards ceremony will take place in Here @ Outernet in London in 2025, where all regional winners will gather to celebrate their achievements, alongside media, industry leaders and special guests.
Last year's winner, Natty Crutchfield, said: 'Winning restaurant of the year was life-changing. We've grown faster than we ever imagined, and we're proud to be part of a community that supports independent businesses.'
The public can nominate their favourite local restaurants by visiting the Uber Eats website by clicking here.
Article continues below
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The nuclear button has been pressed but WRU must now get out of the URC
The nuclear button has been pressed but WRU must now get out of the URC

Wales Online

time41 minutes ago

  • Wales Online

The nuclear button has been pressed but WRU must now get out of the URC

The nuclear button has been pressed but WRU must now get out of the URC The WRU has laid its cards on the table with a radical plan. Steffan Thomas looks at the potential holes in it Picture shows (from left) Richard Collier-Keywood, WRU chairman, Dave Reddin, WRU director of rugby and elite performance and Abi Tierney, WRU chief executive (Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency Ltd) The Welsh Rugby Union hit the nuclear button yesterday when it put forward proposals to cut the number of professional teams in Wales by half. ‌ A formal consultation process will begin in September where the WRU will consult with a number of key stakeholders including the current four professional clubs - Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets - along with supporters, present and former players and the Welsh Rugby Players' Association. The WRU believe radical change is needed to drag the game in Wales out of the doldrums along with providing the platform to win the Six Nations and become "genuine wild-card World Cup winners" in the future. ‌ But a reduction to two teams is the WRU's optimal option; this could change during the consultation process where there is likely to be significant kick-back. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. ‌ After a press conference which lasted well over an hour at the Principality Stadium yesterday and a document of more than 100 pages there remain questions which need answering. Steffan Thomas has been through the document to pick out the key points, issues and questions, as he sees it. What is the optimal solution? The optimal solution focuses on two clubs with a men's and women's team. ‌ Each squad will consist of 50 senior players and operate with playing budgets of £7.8m, while there will only be room for two non-Welsh qualified players in each side. It favours a heavily centralised system in line with the New Zealand model. In terms of the ownership model the WRU wants control of all rugby operations with the current investors taking charge of the commercial element of the club. ‌ In its own words the WRU wants "unified management and contracting of all elite players (professional men's and women's teams, national team and national academy) to align decisions on selection and talent development with players and clubs". The union insists "that PRA-style arrangements are a particularly challenging choice due to an inherent mismanagement between stakeholder objectives". In other words there is a significant lack of trust between the WRU and the four professional clubs with both parties often pulling in different directions. ‌ The WRU sees this as an opportunity to "optimise collaboration" if it can seize control of all rugby operations. Controversially it wants to build a new national campus and base the two professional clubs there. In terms of players development the main point put forward is the return of a national academy-style system and significant investment being poured into Super Rygbi Cymru. ‌ The idea behind the two-club scenario is to concentrate talent which in turn creates more competition for contracts and starting places. It's a case of elitism on steroids, with the aim of driving up standards on and off the field. Is there likely to be pushback during the consultation and what might change? Having spoken to numerous high-ranking sources within the game there will be significant pushback. ‌ Clearly clubs are going to be fighting for their lives and the first priority will be survival. On that note we do not yet know whether the WRU will simply scrap two teams or create two new entities with new branding. Under the proposed optimal system private investors are still required to pour in £17m, which amounts to £1m a year. ‌ But why would any private investor want to pour money into a club if the WRU have complete control over player contracting and development? The original PRA25 involved circa £125m worth of WRU funding over five years, while their new 'optimal solution' of two teams results in £94 worth of WRU payments. But where is the remaining £26m? ‌ That has not been accounted for but may well be kept back to invest into a new national campus, the SRC and academy system. There will also be significant investment into improving the women's game, while competition income will likely decrease with a reduction of teams, as might broadcasting income. They have also spent £6m on a roof walk, while the cost of assuming ownership of Cardiff also has to be taken into consideration ‌ There is £121m worth of investment with the three equally-funded club solutions and £116m if they go to three teams under a tiered funding model. Private investors are required to put in £25m if it's four teams, £21m with three unequally funded teams, £21m with three in a tiered funding model and £17m if they reduce to two. The academy budget per club is £800k in every mode. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free ‌ They are now also proposing a salary cap of £7.8m-£8m in the optimal solution which is only marginally better than where they are now. This is close to the Gallagher PREM cap but short of some of their competitors in the United Rugby Championship. It seems they are hoping to drive a harder bargain with Welsh talent with limited number of overseas player spots at clubs in England and France. ‌ This is likely to be enough to be significantly more competitive if talent is concentrated into two teams, although to really compete in the latter stages of the Champions Cup it will need to be higher. Another area where there will certainly be a significant amount of pushback is with the idea of having two teams training at the same national campus. The WRU's director of rugby and elite performance Dave Reddin was quick to stress both teams would have separate team rooms at the facility and different identities. ‌ But there are many within the game who believe this is anti-competitive, with professional sport all about different styles and cultures. Union-owned sides allow for far greater control from the national coach and potentially greater cohesion in terms of on-field partnerships and playing styles, especially if the majority of the national squad are concentrated into two teams. But it is arguably not the job of the WRU to own and control its teams, but rather to facilitate the growth of the game in Wales. ‌ Union-owned teams are arguably anti-sport and is one of the reasons the URC is an inferior competition to the French Top 14 and the Gallagher PREM. Can the new 'optimal structure' win over supporters? This remains to be seen but the reaction has not been a positive one on social media. Wales has a club-based history and it is a very tribal nation so the very idea of creating two new teams is not going to go down well. ‌ There were hints during the media interviews this week the WRU saw the SRC as the "heritage league" where tribalism can thrive and old rivalries can continue. While this has not been confirmed they may prefer to have an East and West team playing in the professional game with the current four clubs downgraded to SRC level. Reading between the lines they may view a fan supporting east Wales the same as a Cardiff fan now supporting Wales. ‌ If they can be successful and challenge for silverware then they will attract supporters. But this is highly unlikely to get buy-in from current supporters of the four professional sides, with traditional club branding more likely to attract fans. Welsh rugby's tradition is rooted firmly in the club game. ‌ What competition will they play in? A reduction to two teams playing in the URC would be a complete and utter disaster because it is a competition which Welsh fans have never truly bought into. The vast majority of Welsh fans would much prefer to face the likes of Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Northampton Saints, Exeter Chiefs and Leicester Tigers on a weekly basis. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. It would be transformational for the Welsh game and a leading figure at a Welsh club told WalesOnline this week an Anglo-Welsh league would result in its commercial income rising by at least £3m. ‌ The WRU insist they are committed to the URC but if it really wants to deliver an 'optimal solution' it has to be in an Anglo-Welsh. Anything else is sub-optimal. According to numerous people within the upper echelons of the game PRL might expand to 12 or 14 teams but would only consider two Welsh teams. Article continues below It is worth noting teams who are owned by a governing body or has significant union control is unlikely to get accepted into an Anglo-Welsh league. Like it or not radical change is required to drag Welsh rugby out of the doldrums and unlike what some fans have been saying this is not a knee-jerk reaction. But it has to be the right change and the WRU's 'optimal solution' leaves a lot to be desired.

Cardiff Bus gives update on planned September strike
Cardiff Bus gives update on planned September strike

Wales Online

time2 hours ago

  • Wales Online

Cardiff Bus gives update on planned September strike

Cardiff Bus gives update on planned September strike The company warned customers of possible disruption next month There has been a long-term dispute over pay conditions at Cardiff Bus (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne) Cardiff Bus has warned customers of potential strike action next month as members of Unite the union continue to ballot for an improved pay offer. The Union said that the action would affect services for a period of three and a half weeks from Monday, September 1. ‌ Earlier this week, the company's management was informed of the action through a formal notification. The bus service is the primary bus provider for the Welsh capital and its surrounding areas like Barry and Penarth. ‌ The strike is however dependent on the result of an existing ballot which will be held by the union. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here ‌ The result of this will be announced on Friday, August 29 at the latest and if the revised pay offer is accepted a letter rescinding the strike action will be issued. Cardiff Bus said they were "preparing contingency plans" for if the strike was to go ahead with only a short window between the ballot result and start of the strike action. They reassured customers that as soon as a definite decision is made further details would be published on the company's website, app and social media channels. ‌ Content cannot be displayed without consent Craig Hampton-Stone, Managing Director, said: "We hope it does not come to this and that the ballot result is acceptance of the revised pay offer. "However, we have to act responsibly, both for our customers and our staff, by preparing for all scenarios. ‌ "We remain committed to resolving this dispute and have put forward a new pay deal which led to the postponement of the previous strike and commencement of the subsequent ballot. Our focus is on achieving a fair resolution that avoids unnecessary disruption. "Cardiff Bus will update customers on progress with pay talks and the outcome of the ballot as soon as further information is available. "Please check the company's website, app and social channels for the latest updates." Article continues below Strike action was previously called off earlier this month after a revised pay offer was put forward alongside proposed changes to working conditions which included longer breaks and improved sickness terms. This original industrial action was due to take place from August 17 and was due to run for three weeks, ending on Sunday, September 7.

Irish leaders welcome clarity on EU-US trade deal and pharma tariffs cap of 15%
Irish leaders welcome clarity on EU-US trade deal and pharma tariffs cap of 15%

Rhyl Journal

time3 hours ago

  • Rhyl Journal

Irish leaders welcome clarity on EU-US trade deal and pharma tariffs cap of 15%

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the trade agreement represented a 'significant win' for the EU while Tanaiste Simon Harris said it offered an 'important shield' for Irish exporters. The EU struck a trade deal with the US on July 27, five days before Mr Trump said a 30% tariff would kick in for the bloc. The deal sees 15% tariffs on most EU goods including cars, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals entering the US. There are 'zero for zero' tariffs on a number of products including aircrafts and aircraft parts, some agricultural goods and certain chemicals – as well as EU purchases of US energy worth 750 billion dollars over three years. In the aftermath of the deal, it was not clear whether 15% would remain the rate for the pharma sector or be increased. The EU-US statement published on Thursday said that as of September 1, the US will apply a maximum tariff rate of 15% on generic pharmaceuticals, their ingredients and chemical precursors. 'The United States intends to promptly ensure that the tariff rate, comprised of the MFN (Most Favored Nation) tariff and the tariff imposed pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, applied to originating goods of the European Union subject to Section 232 actions on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber does not exceed 15%.' Mr Harris, Ireland's deputy premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, welcomed the assurances for the pharmaceutical and semiconductor sectors. 'We welcome clarity that the deal includes a single, all-inclusive 15% tariff on EU goods,' Mr Harris said. 'We also now have assurance that this rate will extend to pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. 'This provides an important shield to Irish exporters that could have been subject to much larger tariffs pending the outcomes of Section 232 US investigations into these sectors.' Mr Harris said this offered a 'first step' to a more 'comprehensive and formal agreement with the US in the future'. 'Our intention now is to see what other carve outs can be made in areas of interest for Irish exporters.' Irish premier Micheal Martin said the statement brought 'greater clarity and certainty' to what the EU-US agreement would mean in practice. 'This is especially important for enterprises that either import from or export to the US,' he said. 'Given the scale of the pharmaceutical and semiconductor sectors in Ireland, it is important that the Joint Statement confirms that 15% is a ceiling that will apply to EU exports in these areas in all circumstances, including when the current US Section 232 investigations are concluded. 'While I have been clear all along that I do not support tariffs, this is a significant win for the EU. 'Given the significance of the airline sector to Ireland, a specific carve-out for aircraft and aircraft parts is also welcome. 'There are areas where further work remains to be done, including a potential carve-out for med-tech products and spirits. 'I hope this will be advanced as quickly as possible. We will continue to advocate for these sectors given their significant importance to our domestic economy.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store