Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week back on the menu for a bumper fortnight
Aberdeenshire’s tastiest celebration returns in 2025 - bigger and better than ever.
Following the overwhelming success of its debut year, Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week will return this year as a two-week culinary showcase, running from November 3-16.
Served up by Aberdeenshire Council’s Economic Development Service, the event dishes up unbeatable local flavours and aims to boost the region’s vibrant hospitality sector at a traditionally quieter time of year.
Seventy-five eateries took part in the inaugural Restaurant Week in 2024 – from cosy cafés to fine-dining favourites – far exceeding the initial target of 50 participants, with many participating businesses reporting increased bookings and an appetite for the event to return this year.
Jill Mair, owner of the Aspire Restaurant in Portsoy, said: “We are delighted that Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week is returning for two full weeks later this year. Most of our new customers found us through the excellent official website where diners can check out where they would like to visit. We extended our menu during the week as it was so popular we were turning people away. This really is a golden opportunity for diners to discover new favourites while supporting the brilliant businesses at the heart of our communities and I would encourage more hospitality outlets to sign up for this excellent initiative.”
Garlogie Inn owner Nick Quinn added: “The Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week was an amazing Week for The Garlogie Inn. We had a full service every day with new visitors and regular customers who all agreed that the Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week was a fantastic way for them to explore restaurants on their doorstep and to sample fantastic cuisine at a very good price. We are all excited at Garlogie for this year's event which has been extended to run for two weeks.”
Cllr Alan Turner, chair of the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, said: “Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week was a great success last year and it’s tremendous to see it returning for two weeks this November. It clearly demonstrated that there are a wealth of diners just waiting to visit our eateries and sample a wide range of cuisine using the finest produce. There’s already considerable interest from those who participated last year and the more venues participating, the wider the choice for customers.
"I would encourage restaurants, hotels, cafes and bars across the region to sign-up as quickly as possible to give themselves a much-needed boost and bring a wealth of new customers through their doors.”
Restaurant Week will once again feature special menus, deals, and discounts designed to attract locals and visitors alike – giving diners a great reason to explore the region’s culinary hotspots.
Feedback from diners in 2024 showed:
- 85% rated the venue choice as excellent or good
- More than 50% tried somewhere new or visited a new part of Aberdeenshire
- 32% spent money in other businesses while out for Restaurant Week
The Restaurant Week website saw 30,000 visitors and more than 800 email sign-ups
Plans for this year also include linking Restaurant Week with the Aberdeenshire Loves Local gift card campaign and exploring new partnerships between local food producers and hospitality outlets to further strengthen the region’s food economy for the future.
Businesses can now register to take part in Aberdeenshire Restaurant Week 2025 via restaurantweek@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or visiting www.aberdeenshirerestaurantweek.com