1884 restaurants go head-to-head in REYTAs challenge

Laura Waller and James Birch (both left) of 1884 Dock Street Kitchen and Deborah Spicer and Dan Poole of 1884 Wine & Tapas Bar with the REYTAs trophies which the restaurants have won in the last two years.

TWO sister restaurants are turning up the heat on the competition – and on each other – with their bids for glory in the Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs).

1884 Wine & Tapas Bar, which won the title last year, will line up against stablemate and 2015 winner 1884 Dock Street Kitchen when the awards deadline falls this weekend. Other top restaurants across the region will also challenge for the crown of Remarkable Restaurant, and the 1884 rivals will be pushing each other all the way.

There will be added spice as a result of the Hull Daily Mail Business Awards, in which the two restaurants went head-to-head in the final before 1884 Dock Street Kitchen edged it to win the trophy.

Deborah Spicer, General Manager of 1884 Wine & Tapas Bar, said: “We all shared a table at the Mail’s awards so the nerves were jangling a bit but we had a great night and all celebrated together afterwards.”

James Birch, General Manager of 1884 Dock Street Kitchen, added: “Our restaurants sit across the marina from each other, we know each other very well and it was great that we both made it to the final.”

The difference with the REYTAs is that the award is all about the dining experience. Both restaurants are truly remarkable, as demonstrated by the decisions of the judges over the last two years, but they are also very different.

1884 Dock Street Kitchen has been piling up the accolades since it opened nearly five years ago and has added entries in the Michelin Guide and the Good Food Guide. Writing in The Telegraph, Matthew Norman declared: “An engaging, unusually exciting restaurant that does have class, is a contender, and will challenge for major titles from its waterfront berth for a long time to come.”

1884 Wine & Tapas opened nearly two years ago having evolved from popular gastrobar The Wilson. Judges from this year’s White Rose Awards, in which the restaurant was a finalist, reported: “A very nice restaurant which is different to most food offerings. The restaurant had a real buzz about it. Definitely not a formal restaurant but still a great experience very well done.”

The first challenge facing both restaurants is to make it onto the shortlist. If they can do that the competition will be even tougher, and the nerves jangling again, at the presentation night at Bridlington Spa on Thursday 30 March.

Deborah said: “You don’t get to operate a restaurant like this without being aware of the quality of the competition. We know there are some fantastic restaurants in Hull and East Yorkshire – we only have to look across the marina at Dock Street Kitchen – but we also know that we are better now than when we won a REYTA last year.”

James added: “We’ve won awards locally, regionally and nationally and we know from experience – and as diners ourselves – that there are some great restaurants in our region. The REYTAs brings out the best in them and, like the team at Wine & Tapas, we know the standards we have to achieve.”