A family-run cafe in the north west has won the title of Britain’s best takeaway after deciding to ditch single-use plastic to help the environment.
Brunch Bistro in Prescot, Merseyside, have been regional winners of the coveted award for the last three years but have now total the national crown after making great efforts to become more sustainable in 2018.
It no longer uses single-use plastic, meaning no straws or disposable cutlery in the cafe and all takeaway drinks are in 100 per cent biodegradable cups. And instead of polystyrene foam cartons for food, they have containers that can be re-used up to four times by their customers.
The owners also fitted the restaurant with second-hand furniture.
Brunch Bistro was founded by Sharon Carline who said that she was “shocked” to have come top and be recognised for their work.
Individuals were also awarded at the Just Eat awards, for their dedication to their jobs: 82-year-old Brian Loughans won the award for best delivery driver, a job he signed up for after his wife died.
Brian of Kipling’s Restaurant in Halifax, Yorkshire, is also waiting to hear if he has secured the Guinness World Record for the oldest delivery driver in the UK.
Every day he wears a shirt and tie to work and has never missed a shift in three years of working at Kipling’s. He also does not use Sat Nav to deliver food.
The award entries also highlighted takeaways providing more vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options than ever before.
A fish and chip shop in Blackburn, Lancashire tried to do its part for reducing the amount of plastic used by customers this week when it took part in a stunt with campaign group Plastic Oceans.
People were secretly served deep fried plastic, instead of the battered fish they had ordered.
“People were clearly not happy with what they’d been served,” Dr Geoff Brighty, of Plastic Oceans, told HuffPost UK, “and then as time went on we explained what the point was – that this could be our new alternative food source if we don’t do something about the amount of plastic going into the ocean.”