World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2012: The final countdown begins
Some of the world's leading chefs will be descending on London for the tenth year of the unique awards organised by BigHospitality's sister publication Restaurant magazine which always get people in the industry talking.
This year will the Scandinavian dominance continue and can Noma scoop the number one spot for the third year running? Will an Asian restaurant make the Top 10, who will scoop the Chef's Choice award or the inaugural Highland Park Slow Food Restaurant of the Year award? Finally how will the highest new entry last year, Brett Graham's The Ledbury, and the other UK restaurants fare?
There is not long to wait until the voting of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, made up of more than 800 critics, chefs, restaurateurs and 'gastronomes' from 27 regions across the globe, is revealed along with the answers to all those questions.
UK & Ireland panel chair, judge and Bloomberg critic Richard Vines said he was as in the dark as anyone else. "It's so many people around the world who know restaurants, all voting individually I have no idea what has won this year or what is in the Top 10. That is fascinating because nobody can manipulate it," he said.
Female Chef
The Veuve Clicquot World's Best Female Chef Award 2012 has already been revealed as Elena Arzak, joint head chef at restaurant Arzak in Spain. Her father Juan Mari won the Lifetime Achievement award last year and this year the recipient will be unveiled on 23 April so check back on BigHospitality to find out who has taken the coveted prize this year.
World class restaurant?
Voting for the 50 is in secret but this week BigHospitality asked four chefs who have all run or worked at restaurants that have featured on the list what in their opinion makes a restaurant world class. You can watch the video with Heston Blumenthal, Alain Roux, Ruth Rogers and Angela Hartnett here - Richard Vines also gives us his thoughts.
Ten years
To celebrate 10 years of the awards BigHospitality will be producing a special audio podcast investigating the impact of the list - check back on the site on 25 April for this. Every day between now and the awards BigHospitality will also be posting the front cover of Restaurant magazine from each year the awards have been running - to see them all and for more exclusive content and videos in the run-up and on the night like us on Facebook.
Finally we'll also be reporting live from the awards at the Guildhall on 30 April, so for all the latest from the event, including exclusive video interviews and the all important World's 50 Best Restaurants list, visit the website, follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page.You can also watch the awards live via The World's 50 Best Restaurants website.
