City eateries are being urged to pull up a place at the table for the next Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks as dates are revealed for the return of the hugely-popular celebration of the city’s finest food and drink.
Discerning diners will also be delighted to know they can tuck into the Foodie Fortnight from September 1 to 14, organised by Aberdeen Inspired to act as a showcase for the Granite City’s range and quality of restaurants, cafes and bars.
The city’s newest restaurant – Glenhouse Aberdeen, set to open on Union Street later this week – is the first venue to sign up to be part of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks.
Parveen Sood, business expansions and operations manager with Glenhouse, said he had no hesitation in being straight out of the starting blocks to be part of Foodie Fortnight, especially with his previous experience as general manager of city dining stalwarts, Amarone, Thaikhun and Chaophraya.
“I know the importance of Aberdeen Restaurant Week, I know how popular it is with people and how it not only draws people from the city centre from further out, such as Kintore, Huntly, Elgin and from all over the north-east,” he said.
“Having our name as part of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks will give us great exposure. We will be able to have the platform established by Aberdeen Inspired in the past few years as a way to let people know about Glenhouse.”
The new restaurant, now being created in the former TSB bank building will offer a range of dishes, from pasta to steak, fish to burgers, and a range of burgers, all created from local produce and at price customers can afford. It even comes with a gallery for local artists on the lower floors.
As well as restaurants joining for the first time, old favourites will return to serve up mouthwatering menus at special prices.
Chantal Necchi, of Gio’s by La Lombarda at the Castlegate, said the popular eatery was delighted to be part of the Foodie Fortnight again.
“We have done two now and they have both been really successful for us,” she said. “We get a lot of new people in who would normally come.
“For the restaurant sector generally, I think it is a boost to all of them.
Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks has proved a big hit for the city’s hospitality sector. Feedback from the last outing in February saw many eateries singing the praises of the Foodie Fortnight in a feedback survey.
These included:
- “Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks allowed us to open on another evening, and we were fully booked most nights. We were two to three times as busy as we usually would be over the fortnight.”
210 Bistro - “We sold a record number of Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks set menus (in February) compared the previous three years we took part. We saw an increase in customers mostly at weekends, 22 new customers were served, and we saw a 12% increase in revenue over the two weeks.”
Shahbaaz - “More people visited than our average weekly count and a lot of them were first timers. We had 20% more footfall than average. We will take part every time Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks is on.”
Dos Amigos Aberdeen
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks was bound to tantalise the tastebuds of foodie fans while helping give participating eateries a real boost.
“We know that the Foodie Fortnights are among the real highlights of the cultural calendar in Aberdeen,” said Adrian.
“It’s a chance for diners to enjoy top-flight food at mouthwatering prices while discovering new places to eat, alongside their old favourites.
“For the venues taking part, this is the ideal platform to raise their profile, find new customers, thank existing ones for their loyalty while giving their business a valuable uplift at what can be a quiet time.
“Not only that, but Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks also brings people into the city centre to linger and enjoy the many other attractions the Granite City is proud to offer.”
Restaurants, bars and cafes can sign up to be part of the next Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks from today said Shona Byrne, project manager for Aberdeen Inspired.
“We have already had a flood of interest from restaurants, cafes and bars wanting to join in the vibrant atmosphere that Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks creates even before today’s call for places to take part,” said Shona.
“We want as many restaurants to take part as possible. It really is a case of the more the merrier. More venues taking part will mean a wider choice for diners and the bigger the dividend for our vital hospitality industry.
During Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks, participating eateries offer specially-priced menus to tempt diners, along with some excellent events including the return of Secret Suppers where people sign up for a mystery dining experience. The Foodie Passport, with a chance to win an Aberdeen Gift Card, will also be back.
Shona said: “We are always striving to make every Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks better and more exciting than the last, so please watch out for more announcements to come. Restaurants wanting to sign up for the next Aberdeen Restaurant Weeks can do so at the Aberdeen Inspired website here.
