SquareMeal

SquareMeal is a restaurant and venues guide that offers professional restaurant critic reviews, along with a directory of restaurants and venues.

Square Meal's logo

History

SquareMeal was co-founded by school friends Mark de Wesselow and Simon White in 1989[1] as a print - and later online - guide to eating out in the Square Mile, London’s historic financial centre. The guide has since expanded into covering the whole of the UK, along with sister sites in UAE, Ireland, Hong Kong and Singapore.

In 2018 Dean Yardley - founder & former MD of wedding planning website and venues directory hitched.co.uk joined the company as CEO.

2020 saw the official closure of all of SquareMeal’s print titles to become a fully digital platform.

SquareMeal supports homeless charity StreetSmart.[2] The campaign is supported by Stephen Fry and chefs including Angela Hartnett, Marcus Wareing, Jason Atherton and Fergus Henderson.[3]

Restaurant and Chef Awards

SquareMeal has three annual awards - UK Top 100 restaurants,[4] London Top 100 restaurants[5] and Female Chef of the Year.[6]

UK Top 100 Awards

The top 100 lists are a compilation of the best dining experiences of the year.

Past winners of SquareMeal's UK Top 100 restaurants:

2023 Grace & Savour[7]
2022 Osip[8]
2021 Awards on hold due to Covid
2020 Awards on hold due to Covid
2019 Moor Hall
2018 Casamia
2017 The Sportsman
2016 The Fat Duck
2015 The Hand & Flowers
2014 Northcote
2013 Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
2012 Purnell’s
2011 The Kitchin
2010 L’Enclume
2009 Whatley Manor

London top 100 awards

Running alongside the UK Top 100 is the London Top 100 - highlighting the best restaurants in England’s capital city.

Past winners of SquareMeal's London Top 100 restaurants:

2023 Da Terra[9]
2022 BiBi[10]
2021 Awards on hold due to Covid
2020 Awards on hold due to Covid
2019 Brat
2018 Core by Clare Smyth
2017 Pollen Street Social
2016 Frenchie
2015 The Clove Club
2014 Gymkhana
2013 The Five Fields
2012 Dabbous
2011 Pollen Street Social
2010 The Ledbury
2009 Arbutus


SquareMeal Female Chef of the Year Award

SquareMeal also holds their annual Female Chef of the Year award. In 2018, Angela Hartnett won the award, followed by Skye Gyngell in 2019,[11] with Sally Abe winning in 2021[12], Lisa Goodwin-Allen winning in 2022[13] and Roberta Hall-McCarron in 2023[14].

2023 Roberta Hall-McCarron
2022 Lisa Goodwin-Allen
2021 Sally Abè
2020 Awards on hold due to Covid
2019 Skye Gyngell
2018 Angela Harnett

 

References
  1. Piggott, Sudi (2005-05-06). "From deals to meals". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  2. "Restaurant Guide Backs Homeless Charity with Celebrity Chef Campaign". PR Web. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  3. "Helping the Homeless at Christmas". StreetSmart. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
  4. "UK's Top 100 Restaurants for 2023". www.squaremeal.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  5. "London's Top 100 Restaurants 2023". www.squaremeal.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  6. Food, Telegraph (2018-10-15). "Telegraph columnist Angela Hartnett wins Female Chef of the Year award". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  7. "Grace & Savour". Hampton Manor. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  8. "Somerset venue named as best restaurant in SquareMeal Top 100 list". Somerset County Gazette. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  9. "Bethnal Green Restaurant Voted Best In SquareMeal's London's Top 100 List". The Resident. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  10. "SquareMeal Announces the Top 100 Restaurants in London and the UK". CLH News: Caterer, Licensee and Hotelier News. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  11. Ellis, David (2019-10-21). "Skye Gyngell named 'Female Chef of the Year' at industry awards". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  12. "Who is Great British Menu 2022 chef, Sally Abé?". www.thestaffcanteen.com. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  13. London, Luxury; Lewis, Annie (2023-01-13). "Meet the chef: Lisa Goodwin-Allen of The Game Bird". Luxury London. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  14. Dreyer, Pete (2023-10-18). "SquareMeal and AYALA's Female Chef of the Year Awards 2023". SquareMeal. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
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