News

BULLSEYE: LUKE LITTLER JOINS DELIVEROO IN SEARCH FOR THE NATION'S BEST KEBAB

The humble kebab has been a British takeaway staple for decades, and now, Deliveroo is on a mission to crown the nation’s best 'bab' with the help of none other than British darts sensation, Luke Littler.

Tuesday 29th April 2025: The humble kebab has been a British takeaway staple for decades, and now, Deliveroo is on a mission to crown the nation’s best 'bab' with the help of none other than British darts sensation, Luke Littler.

The top sporting champion has been recruited to help score a whole new kind of treble for the delivery app; to celebrate the nation’s most-loved takeaways, get Brits supporting their local restaurants and reintroduce an award that only the ‘King of the Oche’ could do - the Luke Littler x Deliveroo Best Kebab Award.

In new imagery released today, Luke is seen swapping the darts hall for a kebab restaurant - to announce the return of the highly coveted award, back in business following a three-year hiatus.

Brand-new for this year is a specially-created golden trophy, in the shape of a chicken shish, that’ll be awarded to the winning restaurant. In the imagery, Luke holds a glistening, golden kebab in one hand and a delicious grilled chicken shish in the other, calling on fellow kebab-lovers to get voting for their favourite local spot delivering stellar Shish, show-stopping Shawarmas or glorious Gyros. May the best ‘bab’ win.

Having shown plenty of support for his hometown kebab spot in the past, Luke is here to encourage the nation to do the same, and hit a bullseye on their favourite kebab restaurant. In collaboration with Deliveroo, Luke has given the Littler seal of approval on a shortlist of 10 of the nation’s very best kebab restaurants, handing it over to the public to cast their vote:

Luke Littler said: “Whether it’s chicken tikka or lamb, there are three steps to a tasty kebab: juicy lean meat, fresh salad, all wrapped up in soft bread. The final check-out and making the perfect kebab is tough, but these restaurants on Deliveroo are doing it right. I can’t see any misses in this list, so it’s over to you to get voting. Game on.”

Will Shu, CEO & Founder at Deliveroo said: “Who better than Luke Littler to reintroduce the award that celebrates a true Deliveroo fan favourite, the kebab. The restaurants in the running are serving kebabs of incredible quality and have built loyal followings in their local communities. We want to recognise those doing it best - so get voting for your favourite restaurants nominated for the award.”

Whilst Luke has had a hand in picking the ten finalists for the Best Kebab, it’s up to the nation to decide the champion. The new kebab category is now open for the public to vote on the 2025 Deliveroo Restaurant Awards website HERE, along with the other 65 categories that recognise the nation’s long-standing love for a takeaway, with everything from ramen and red curries to sushi and salad. Voting closes on 9th May.

Takeaway fans can cast their vote for UK and Ireland’s most loved restaurants in their local area at deliveroorestaurantawards.com between 14th April and 9th May 2025, with voting closing on 9th May at 11:59 PM. Customers who vote will be automatically entered into a draw to win £150 in Deliveroo credit*.

The winners of the Deliveroo 2025 Restaurant Awards will be announced via Deliverooo’s social channels on 28th May 2025.

-------------------------------------------------ENDS

About the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards Deliveroo’s Restaurant Awards celebrate and recognise the very best and most-loved restaurants across the country - from local independent burger joints to neighbourhood sushi restaurants and all the dishes and flavours in between, with 66 award categories in total, including 50 regional cuisine-led awards and the coveted Independent Restaurant of the Year award and new for 2025, Luke Littler x Deliveroo Best Kebab Award. As well as the ‘Rising Star Award’, other new categories introduced this year, celebrating pioneers in the industry, include the ‘Lifetime Achievement’, ‘Changing the Game’, and ‘Role Model’ awards.

Deliveroo Restaurant Awards 2025 Categories The 2025 awards feature both regional and national categories. will be broken down into a total of 66 accolades, split across cuisine-led categories and themed categories.

NEW FOR 2025:

  • Luke Littler x Deliveroo Best Kebab Award 2025 - the return of an iconic award, but this time fronted by Luke Littler, with its very own golden trophy to be awarded to the restaurant offering the best kebab in the business. The winner will be decided by consumer vote.

x4 ‘Icon Award’ categories, which will include:

  • Lifetime Achievement - a prestigious award celebrating a notable individual for their significant contribution to the industry
  • Changing the Game - a trailblazer who has redefined the norms by inspiring others to think differently and help transform the way things are done across the industry or within their community
  • Role Model - celebrating someone who has had a positive impact by inspiring, helping and motivating others around them
  • Rising Star - keep your eyes peeled - the winner of this award could be a leader of the future and one to watch!

x55 awards decided by consumer vote, which will include:

  • x10 cuisine-led awards for each of the x5 regions: Greater London, South England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, North England & Midlands. These are voted for by customers against categories such as Best Pizza, Best Chinese, etc.
  • x5 Regional Restaurant of the Year awards (finalists for Independent Restaurant of the Year)

x5 ‘Themed Award’ categories, which will include:

  • Independent Restaurant of the Year - The nation’s best-loved Independent Restaurant of the Year
  • Heart of the Community - The Restaurant that is a winner amongst the local community, e.g. through supporting the local area, charities and/or community groups
  • Environmentally Sustainable - Celebrating the superstars who are redefining responsible dining and crafting delicious dishes with a conscience.
  • Customer Obsession - Applauding the maverick chefs and eateries who sprinkle innovation in every dish.
  • Rider Love - Celebrating the restaurants that go the extra mile and give their riders the VIP treatment they deserve.

Deliveroo Restaurant Awards shortlist 2025 The full restaurant shortlists per region can be found below, and all images HERE

  • Independent Restaurant of the Year Full Shortlist - here
  • London & Greater London - here
  • Scotland - here
  • South England & Wales - here
  • North England & Midlands - here
  • Ireland - here

Be in with a chance of winning £150 Deliveroo credit when you vote - T&Cs 18+ UK & Ireland only. Enter between 14/04/25 and 09/05/25.