Newcastle is the North's most 'restauranty' city

A new survey by leading trade exhibition NRB and CGA Peach ranks Newcastle as the North’s most ‘restauranty’ city, with one restaurant for every 1,558 residents, narrowly pushing Manchester, with 1,576 residents per restaurant, into second place.

York takes third spot with one restaurant for every 1,585 residents. This is compared to London’s restaurant density of 1,353 residents per restaurant, highlighting exactly how close the leading Northern cities are getting to the capital.

Chef proprieter of the House of Tides, Kenny Atkinson, believes more people are dining out in the North due to the quality produce and value for money.

He said: "I think Newcastle has some phenomenal suppliers which are head and shoulders with some of the best in the country. I think I proved that with the two years on the Great British Menu by winning the starter the first year and with the fish the second year. The produce is definitely  up there.

“From a value point of view, when people start looking they actually think of going outside of London now because there are some phenomenal restaurants available and if you go to these places which are at one or two star level you pay a lot less than what you would do if you were in London.”

He also went on to say that he and his team have to work twice as hard as other big cities like London because there aren't as many fine dining establishments in Newcastle.

He said: "I think any restaurant outside London has to work twice as hard in order to stand out because when you go to London every night is like a Saturday. In Newcastle the dining scene is very much Thursday, Friday and Saturday so you do have to work harder during the week to get people in. So when they leave The House of Tides we have to do everything we can to get them to come back the following week. There’s only a handful of restaurants in Newcastle compared to London so we have to do everything we can to make sure they come back because we’re better than anyone else.”

Michael O’Hare, finalist on Great British Menu and Michelin-starred chef-patron of The Man Behind the Curtain in Leeds, says “The northern food scene is very much in its infancy. Look at the region’s top restaurants, The French, The Black Swan, House of Tides, The Raby Hunt or even The Man Behind The Curtain; go back three years and most of these places didn't exist. It's new, it's fresh, it's exciting, and of those restaurants what diversity! Diners can go to any one of the aforementioned and have a completely different meal cooked in a completely different style in completely different surroundings. That's the beauty of the north - Diversity in excellence!”

Industry experts suggest the notable swing towards the North is driven by factors such as more affordable set up costs, an increasingly sophisticated audience and a trend towards cultural tourism in the North’s post-industrial cities.

Research conducted by Holden Media, organisers of Northern Restaurant & Bar (NRB), one of the UK’s largest hospitality trade shows, has revealed that Northern cities are challenging London for the title of the UK’s most restaurant dense region. A surge in new Northern openings has seen the numbers of “residents per restaurant”in the region fall 18% between 2011 and 2015, compared to a decrease of only 13% in London.

Thom Hetherington, CEO of Holden Media, is unsurprised by the burgeoning restaurant scene beyond the capital saying “London is a global gastronomic city, but clearly the North of England is catching up at a rate of knots, not least because it is possible for cash-strapped but talented chefs to set up their own ventures and cook their hearts out for an appreciative audience. This research explains exactly why our visitor numbers at the Northern Restaurant & Bar show are booming.”