Mexican restaurant in Wiltshire named best takeaway in Britain

Restaurant praised for gluten-free and vegan menu items

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A Mexican restaurant based in Wiltshire, Nacho Cheese, has been crowned the best takeaway in Britain.

On Monday night the British Takeaway Awards (BTAs), run in association with Just Eat, celebrated the diverse range of cuisines across the UK.

With awards for everything including the Best Takeaway Chef, Best Takeaway Delivery Driver and the Game Changer restaurant – an award that recognises businesses that are pushing the boundaries and driving innovation in the food industry.

This year’s winners were selected by a judging panel of experts including celebrity chef Ainsley Harriet, former Dragon’s Den star Sarah Willingham and Ibrahim Dogus, the chair of the British Takeaway Campaign.

Each followed a rigorous process comprising of a public vote, written submission, mystery shopping and analysis of customer reviews.

The judges said they were impressed with Nacho Cheese's great food, high mystery shopper score and measures it had taken to cater to customers’ dietary needs.

Owner Lorraine Priestly has coeliac disease and has led the way in offering gluten-free menu items.

She is also involved in projects working with Coeliac UK to help ensure other restaurants can improve their gluten-free offering.

In addition, Nacho Cheese offers vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free dishes, and the packaging used is compostable and biodegradable.

Lorraine Priestley, Owner of Nacho Cheese said: “We are so excited to have won Best Takeaway in Britain. It is so important to us to offer exceptional service and food, as well as catering to customers’ ever-evolving dietary needs, and so to have been recognised for this is amazing!

“We would like to say a huge thank you to our staff for their hard work, as well as our loyal customers, as we couldn’t have got here without them. We are so pleased and can’t wait to continue to have a positive impact on the takeaway industry.”

Elsewhere, Leicester-based Chris’ Fish N Chips won the Game Changer award for their commitment to sustainability.

The takeaway uses alternatives to palm oil, zero plastic packaging and is carrying out more deliveries on bicycle to save on emissions.

Having identified a growing demand for healthier options, Chris’ Fish N Chips now also lists calories for each menu item and has signposted dishes that are under 400 calories and under 600 calorie to encourage more informed healthier choices.

Stratis Kyriacou, owner of Chris’ Fish and Chip Shop said: “We can’t believe we’ve won the Game Changer award, this is a first for us.

“We’re passionate about doing all we can for the environment and our local community. It means so much to have our hard work recognised, every single member of the team feels so proud.”

Other winners on the night included London-based Japanese-Latin fusion delivery restaurant, Sugoi JPN.

Head Chef, Osamu Mizuno was awarded Best Takeaway Chef in Britain after wowing the judges in a MasterChef style cook-off in which he served ‘nori tacos’ – crispy seaweed taco shells covered in tempura batter and filled with Japanese flavours such as tuna and salmon sashimi, pico de gallo, sushi rice, sesame seeds, and kimchee sauce.

Each category winner received a £1,000 cash prize and free sign up to food delivery service Just Eat, with the overall winner taking home an additional £5,000.

Andrew Kenny, UK managing director of Just Eat, said: “Every year we struggle to select the winners, because we see so many thriving restaurants, championing initiatives that need recognising.

"Whether it’s supporting a local charity, setting up community initiatives or developing new menus to address the ever-changing needs of consumers, our finalists really go the extra mile.

“What is great about the BTAs is that we are able to really shine the light on those people and give them the recognition they deserve”.

Last week, the National Fish and Chip Awards 2020 crowned The Cod’s Scallops in Wollaton, Nottingham as the best fish and chip shop in the UK.

The restaurant, which is owned and run by John and Helen Molnar, offers more than 20 species of fish and shellfish daily, which can be deep fried or baked with garlic, lemon and herbs for a healthier option.

Speaking of the win, John said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be crowned the UK’s best fish and chip shop. It’s an honour to take home such a prestigious title, especially being up against the country’s top establishments."