Hundreds of guests attended a glitzy ceremony at New Dock Hall last night (Monday March 16), as the winners of 15 categories were announced. Celebrating the crème de la crème of the Leeds culinary scene, the 17th annual awards celebrate the very best restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, hotels, chefs and more across the city.
Since the very first Oliver Awards ceremony in 2009, hundreds of businesses have been crowned with a coveted award - propelling some into the spotlight and recognising others for their long-serving dedication to the city’s food and drink industry.
This year was one of the toughest yet, and saw the first winners crowned for new awards, including Best in Glass and Best Social Media.
Here are our 2026 winners - and the finalists for each category.
7. Best Social Media - CrowdedHouse
Finalists: Bundobust Leeds; The Empire Cafe; Homeboy Pizza Co; Chef Jono at V&V | Simon Hulme
8. Best Pop Up/Street Food - Bundobust
Finalists: Bastards Bistro; The Otley Burger Company; Chimaek Oppa; Delhi Wala Food | Jonathan Gawthorpe
9. Best Takeaway - Homeboy Pizza Co
Finalists: G-Wu; Hooyah Burgers; Chimaek Oppa | Bruce Rollinson
10. Chef of the Year - Sandy Jarvis (Bavette)
Finalists: Brayden Davies (The Box Tree); Joe Carroll (The Highland Laddie); Dale Spink (Le Voyage Dining Experience); Molly Payne (byMolly) | James Hardisty
11. Best Pub - The Highland Laddie
Finalists: Midnight Bell; Duke of Wellington; The Three Swords; The Duck and Drake | Jonathan Gawthorpe
12. Best Cafe/Deli - The Cheesy Living Co.
Finalists: Moss and Moor; Hit Coffee; Gates’; Hooleos Mexican Cafe Bar | James Hardisty