Capetonians have enjoyed a smorgasbord of incredible eats and treats delivered straight to their doorstep throughout 2021, thanks to the launch of Bolt Food in the city. Now, the 2021 Bolt Food Restaurant Awards sets out to recognise and award the cream of the crop among them as chosen by the Bolt Food community, and to celebrate their outstanding achievements in food delivery.
“More than 1000 restaurants in Cape Town have joined Bolt Food since it was first launched in the city in 2020. In this time, people across the Mother City have had the opportunity to enjoy their favourite restaurant dishes, and often discover new restaurants to try that may not have been on their radar before,” says Taf Samushonga, Bolt Food Country Manager in South Africa.
“The Bolt Food restaurant awards are granted for the culinary merits of partnering restaurants and in recognition of the critical role that they play in their communities: Bringing people together around good food, keeping people safe and away from crowded places during the pandemic, and offering exciting and intense culinary experiences all around Cape Town and its environs, to the comfort of people’s homes.”
Winners have been chosen from 10 awards categories, including the top-rated restaurants as chosen by customers, affordably good food, best restaurants for a ‘fancy’ night in, and the restaurants with the most eco-friendly approach.
Abdurahman Theunissen, Operations: Lead Creative from Brocka in Rondebosch, which was voted the most popular restaurant in the “Hidden Gem” category, says that Bolt has helped them reach a wide variety of customers, which in turn has allowed them to welcome many new customers through their doors. “We are seeing pick-up with our sit-down clientele and particularly students because we operate in a student hub area, which is amazing.”
Simply Asia in Heritage Square bagged first place in the “Never Gonna Give You Up” category for having Bolt’s most repeated order – the 514, which is a roasted chilli paste and cashew nut noodles. “It tastes amazing and has a great combination of flavours. You really need to taste it to understand why it’s the most popular by far,” says Ravi Naidu, Franchisee of the restaurant.
“Bolt helped boost our revenue, especially during the pandemic last year. They ran huge marketing campaigns, so people were getting great food at great prices. That introduced a lot of people to Simply Asia, it was a great win-win for everyone,” adds Naidu.
The full list of winners in each category of the Bolt Food Restaurant Awards for 2021 is as follows:
- Loved by Locals – Top-rated restaurant according to Bolt Food users: RocoMamas, Rondebosch
- Hidden Gem – Cape Town’s most popular lesser-known eateries: Brocka, Rondebosch
- Midnight Munchies – most popular restaurants welcoming late-night orders: Food Inn
- Rising Star – a new restaurant that gained a huge following in a short amount of time: Primi, Cavendish
- Worth the Walk – most-pick-up orders: Acapulco Spur Steak Ranch,
- Never Gonna Give You Up – most repeated order: Simply Asia, Heritage Square
- Treat Yourself – most orders for the best high-end restaurant: Mai Thai Sushi,
- Best Value for Money – for affordable, good food: Snoekies, Belvedere
- Verified Vegan – most popular place to order vegan food: Prashad, Rondebosch
- Green Choice – the most eco-friendly/green approach to dishes, ingredients used and initiatives: Kauai, Muizenberg.
“I would like to extend a massive and heartfelt congratulations to all our winners who have gone above and beyond to commitment to quality, provision of outstanding services and professionalism – from service delivery, to the meals they serve. We’re thrilled to see who will nab the top spots in the Bolt Food Restaurant Awards for 2022, and how we can continue to support Cape Town’s best-loved eateries, to do what they do best,” concluded Samushonga.
Cape Town and Johannesburg foodies can sample meals by downloading the Bolt Food app on Google Play and the App Store.
