York Restaurant Week has reported its most successful event to date in terms of the boost in trade for hospitality businesses.

The popular event, which took place from last Monday, March 11, until Sunday, March 17, delivered results which quell concerns around potential reduced consumer spending, says organiser York BID.

Organised as a celebration of the wealth of incredible hospitality businesses in the city, last week saw York and its residents welcome the ninth event to date since its inception in April 2019.

Brand new features for the March 2024 event included updated website features and filters, making for a smoother customer experience.

More than 100 businesses took part with a collective offering of 200 deals across food and drink, making it one of the largest events of its kind in the UK.

In addition, more than 17,000 vouchers were downloaded from the event website, with a monetary value of over £319,770.

The nine York Restaurant Week events that York BID have run to date are estimated to have delivered £1,449,555 for hospitality businesses in York city centre.

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Yuzu Street Food Founder and CEO, Chris Hargroves, speaking during restaurant week, said: “York Restaurant Week is a great opportunity for restaurants to win more regular customers; it gives the public a chance to come in, try our bestsellers at a discounted rate and wow them enough to keep them coming back for repeat visits in the future.

“Last year we saw a great uptake and this year has already started well and we're only halfway through the week! It falls on a great week for restaurants too; providing extra custom on a week in the middle of the month is always a good thing.”

Marketing Manager of The Starr Inn The City and York Minster Refectory, Georgina Hampshire, said: “We are delighted to have participated in York Restaurant Week once again this year. It has proven to be a tremendous success for our business, driving increased foot traffic throughout the week and providing an opportunity for numerous new patrons to experience our restaurant first-hand. We eagerly anticipate participating again later this year.”

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York BID business manager, Chris Bush, coordinates the event.

He said: “With the current economic landscape squeezing many household budgets, we’re thrilled with the phenomenal results from the week. It’s encouraging to see so many diners supporting the city’s restaurants, cafes, street food vendors and bars. We’re grateful to all of the participating eateries for making this our most successful event to date and are excited to return in October 2024.”

Harrogate also staged its own Restaurant Week from February 19 to February 25. Organised by Visit Harrogate, it also featured restaurants from across the district, including venues in Ripon and Knaresborough and beyond.