THE gloves are off as voting opens to find Scotland's top Italian businesses.
After two successful years the Scottish Italian Awards will take place in November at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow.
The awards will celebrate the country’s Italian community and highlight its ongoing importance in Scotland’s hospitality industry.
People can nominate their favourite businesses by completing a form at www.scottishitalianawards.co.uk
Warren Paul, CEO and founder of the awards, said he was happy to bring the event back to Scotland following a successful expansion into England earlier this year.
He said: “This year we’re searching for that really authentic Italian taste and feel.
“We’ve altered several categories to reflect this and are really looking forward to the high level of dedication and skill we’ve seen in previous years.”
The 2015 awards will take a greater focus on authentic Italian experiences.
Last year’s awards saw almost 60,000 votes cast from across the country and 70 businesses celebrated becoming finalists at the final in November.
Award organiser Paramount Creative is confident this year’s ceremony will be even bigger.
Categories this year include Best Pizzeria and Best Geleteria which will look at the quality of food and service offered.
Organisers are also looking to celebrate smaller locations, with a new category devoted solely to restaurants with fewer than 50 seats.
Best Newcomer has also been added to the list which aims to welcome new businesses and ventures that have added something exceptional to the Scots-Italian community.
Toni’s Pizzeria in Giffnock picked up this award last year.
There are 16 categories in total and celebrity chef and restaurateur Aldo Zilli will oversee the judging in both Best Pizza and Best Chef categories.
Public votes can be cast on the website until September 25 with the finalists being notified the next day.
Venues will then be visited by judges who will be looking for the best of the best across all categories.
All finalists will be invited to the Gala Final at the Thistle Hotel on November 8.
The categoes are: Best Deli/Café; Best Gelateria; Best Fish & Chips; Best Pizzeria; Best Pizza; Best Pasta; Best Wine List; Best Barista; Best Chef; Best Team; Best Marketing Team; Best Family Restaurant; Best Newcomer (Open Since Nov 2014); Best Restaurant (50 seats & under); Best Restaurant (50+ seats) and Best Italian Business.
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