Restaurant R200

Restaurant Magazine’s annual list of the UK’s biggest restaurant players is more exhaustive than ever before, thanks to the addition of a further 50 companies in 2009.

The ranked list is the UK’s top 200 restaurant operators based on turnover – companies that collectively account for more than £2bn of sales – with information on their brands, reasons for success and future expansion plans.

Given the fragmented nature of the UK dining scene we’ve once again set our own parameters to provide a list of companies that have real entrepreneurial spirit. Companies listed on the Stock Exchange’s Main Market are, as a result, excluded, but we’ve allowed AIM-listed companies. AIM is the London Stock Exchange’s international market for smaller growing companies, and many restaurant companies listed on it share similar characteristics to independent companies. Fast food and takeaway chains, where the majority of food is not consumed on the premises, are also excluded from the list.

Once a member of the group, each company is invited to three events per year: a seminar-based business day, a lunchtime awards ceremony and a study tour visiting restaurants in-situ across European cities.

Dates in 2013 are Bologna on 14th & 15th March, as well as June and November 2013 (venues are still TBC).