Jorge’s Restaurant were honoured last week to place in the final of the prestigious Food Awards England 2022 which was hosted this year in Manchester.
Being nominated and shortlisted for this award – for which they were anonymously nominated – gave such a positive boost to the team at Jorge’s, who were open a year before they ran a reduced operation through lockdowns during Covid. Jorge’s was among one of the few privately owned restaurants in Norwich that operated throughout lockdowns without dismissing any of their staff.
Jorge’s are proud finalists of the Restaurant of the Year (East) category from the Food Awards England, 2022.
Founder Jorge Santos said, “It's amazing to be nominated. We've been open three years and we've spent two years in lockdown so it's great to have this after all that, but it has been the same for everybody. We want to focus on what's ahead now. It's our quality which sets us apart.”
A Spokesperson for The Food Awards England, said: “These awards aim to thank those that work hard within the city’s food industry and contribute to making England a great gastronomic place to visit.
“It is true that England combines tastes and flavours from all over the world and the visitors can find different restaurants, gastro pubs and bistros to meet their needs.”
From launching in 2018 at Orford Yard, tucked away in the city centre and known as a hidden gem for eating among locals, Jorge’s quickly grew a strong reputation for excellent flavours, delightful wine and an authentic dining experience and currently holds a Travellers Choice 2021 badge and a 4.5/5 rating on the Jorge’s Tripadvisor page.
On attending the awards, co-founder Eleanor Santos said, “Getting recognized in a national awards ceremony makes all our hard work and that of the team worthwhile.
“We were so surprised and delighted to be nominated and grateful to all our customers that voted for us. Although we didn’t win, we are proud to have been nominated as finalists – a great achievement for a new business that has spent two of three years open during a pandemic/lockdown.
Several other Norfolk businesses were nominated for awards on the night and we
cheered and clapped for them; it was lovely to see so many Norfolk businesses recognised
at a national level.””
Among the finalists for the category were Middletons, Benedicts as well as The Ingham Swan and Wells Crab House in North Norfolk. Benedicts were awarded the winners of the Best Restaurant of the Year (East). The team at Jorge’s were delighted to hear Norwich still took home this award.
Co-founders and owners Jorge & Eleanor Santos moved back to Norwich after starting their family to launch their dream restaurant in Orford Yard. Orford Yard, tucked in on Red Lion Street has been home to Jorge’s since 2018 and in 2021, welcomed sister restaurant of Jorge’s to Orford Yard, Go Bifanas which serves modern Streetfood with world flavours.
To the customers that have supported Jorge’s, Jorge Santos himself had this to say: “Thank
you so much for being the best guests in the world. Your overwhelming support since we
started Jorge’s 3 years ago has been amazing and brought us to the place where we stand
today.
“What a journey it has been from Portugal to Norwich, bringing a little of what Portuguese
cuisine has to offer to the foodies of this beautiful city. Unfortunately, we could not bring
the Portuguese sun, but our extensive Portuguese wine list has been helping to warm up the
souls of our guests.
“When you run a restaurant, you are only as good as the people that work with you, and we
are very lucky to have a team that excels every single day, bringing the best food and service
Norwich has to offer.
“To the people of Norwich, thank you for nominating us for the prestigious Food Awards
England 2022 Restaurant of the Year. We’re so proud to be named among some fantastic
restaurants celebrating the best food and variety of cuisines England has to offer.
“This will give us even more strength to continue to work hard and create delicious food for
all of you.
“As we say in Portuguese: Muito Obrigado e Bom Apetite!”
As one of Norwich’s hidden gems for gastronomy, Jorge’s is a must-visit for far afield
flavours from the Mediterranean, with fantastic seafood and steak dishes as well as
flavourful tapas to pair with wines from all across Portugal.
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