The magazine's readers will nominate a shortlist, then pick the winners in a variety of categories synonymous with the newsstand title: destination, restaurant, hotel, tour operator, specialist retailer, airline, chef, book, cruise line and cookery school. "Last year, we launched the awards to coincide with our 150th issue," said Guy Woodward, editor of Food and Travel, "and our readers, as they always are, were tremendously engaged when it came to giving us their views. Food is one of the key elements in people's lifestyles and travel plans these days, and nowhere is this more true than with our readership. So it's fantastic to be able to tap into their expertise and experience and have them reward those people and places who deserve recognition."
Publisher Gregor Rankin, who launched Food and Travel in 1997, commented: "Last year's inaugural Food and Travel Awards set a very high benchmark for the quality of individuals, companies and destinations shortlisted, as well as winners. The readers' involvement in the concept, as well as the number of votes, was very gratifying, and I encourage all our readers to do so again so that we can celebrate the quality and innovation that are the hallmarks of the food and travel sectors."
Nominations are open online at foodandtravel.com/awards from 22 February 2013. Readers can submit three nominations to each category in the first round of voting, which ends on 3 May 2013. These votes will then form the basis of a shortlist for the second round, to be published in the July edition of Food and Travel (on sale 31 May 2013).
