NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week in August was a record-breaking week for the city’s restaurant community as more than 60,000 diners descended on more than 130 restaurants over the course of seven days, spending well over £1 million in the process. The event, which celebrated its 15th anniversary this year, smashed all previous event records for diner numbers, participating venues and the economic boost delivered to the city’s restaurant businesses.
August’s event, which ran from 3rd to 9th August, offered diners over 130 venues to choose from, the largest number of participating venues in the event’s history, and the week generated over £1.2 million for participating venues through the sale of Restaurant Week menus alone. The true economic impact is considerably higher, with diners’ spending on drinks, side dishes and regular menu items, as well as travel, leisure and other hospitality experiences across the city, not included in the figures. Businesses in other sectors across the city also reported increased trade throughout the week as Newcastle came alive through the event.
Participating venues reported another hugely successful event week. Newcomer, Cocochine, who took part in the event for the first time, welcomed hundreds of diners over the course of the week with full covers most evenings and lunchtimes.
Commenting on the event, Hoa Nguyen from Cochochine restaurant said; “The restaurant was full all week! We were amazed and delighted by the response. We knew all about NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week, and even before we’d opened, we approached the team at NE1 to express our interest in taking part. We were absolutely blown away by the public’s response. The event generates a real buzz in the city and encourages people to dine out and try new restaurants, as well as returning to their old favourites. It is a fantastic opportunity for new restaurants like ours to showcase what we have to offer. And it’s an event that keeps delivering. We’ve already had customers who dined with us for the first time during Restaurant Week rebooking to come back.”
NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week was the first event of its kind in the UK when it launched in 2011,and the model has been replicated across the UK and Ireland. Created to support the city’s restaurant industry during traditionally quieter periods, it has since transformed one week in January and another in August into two of the busiest weeks of the year for participating venues.
The idea for Newcastle Restaurant Week originated in New York, where a similar scheme operated. Terry Laybourne of 21 Hospitality suggested the idea to NE1, and the event launched with just 13 participating restaurants. Since then, Newcastle Restaurant Week has gone from strength to strength, becoming a major fixture in the city’s events calendar and a reliable source of trade for participating venues. In total this year, over 121,000 diners enjoyed the event, delivering a £2.4 million boost for participating venues.
Stephen Patterson, Chief Executive at NE1, said: “Last month’s Newcastle Restaurant Week set new records across every measure, from number of diners to economic impact and number of participating restaurants. We are delighted with the phenomenal results achieved and thank the venues and the public for making the event such a huge success.
“Hitting the 60,000-diner target has been a team goal at NE1 for some time, and we’re delighted that on our 15th anniversary we have achieved this, what a testament to the event.
“NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week has a huge impact on the city, driving footfall, supporting our hospitality businesses and bringing people into the city centre to experience the fantastic range of restaurants and venues Newcastle has to offer.
“The results from the latest NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week demonstrate the strength of the city’s hospitality sector and the public’s continued appetite to support it. We are incredibly proud of what everyone has achieved and look forward to the next event in January 2027.”
Sarah McCourt, Head of Communications and Marketing at Nexus, said: “NE1 Newcastle Restaurant Week is a great event in the city’s annual event calendar, and Nexus is proud to be a part of it. The Tyne and Wear Metro provides diners with an affordable and convenient way to travel into the city centre to enjoy everything that Restaurant Week has to offer. We’re already looking forward to the next one.”
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