Following the success of similar events in Harrogate and Selby, the inaugural Helmsley and the Howardian Hills Restaurant Week took place whilst Whitby Restaurant Week returned for a second year. Restaurant Week aims to help restaurants, cafes and pubs to attract residents and visitors to dine somewhere new at an affordable price. It is free for businesses to take part in and takes place during a time of the year that is typically quieter in terms of dining footfall and bookings.
Helmsley and the Howardian Hills
After being awarded the Most Exciting Food Destination in The Good Food Guide 2024, the first Helmsley and the Howardian Hills Restaurant Week took place from Monday 23 February to Sunday 1 March. The event was a celebration of the food and drink offering in the area, with cafes, pubs and restaurants using local, seasonal produce to create delicious dishes for residents and visitors. Eateries provided special set menus at one of five fixed price points – £15, £20, £25, £30, or £35. The campaign was supported by a promotional campaign with media partner YorkMix, which included on air advertising and a live broadcast on the launch day. We partnered with the Yorkshire Food Guide to create influencer-style social content showcasing four of the participating businesses, including the Star Inn at Harome, Florian Poirot in Malton, and La Trattoria in Helmsley.
Results overview
- Total participating venues: 34
- Total number of Restaurant Week vouchers downloaded: 2,618
- 126 on air ads on YorkMix radio, in addition to presenter talk ups, live broadcast and digital activity
- 75,000 views on the Yorkshire Food Guide Restaurant Week social content
- Paid Meta advertising campaign resulted in 526,454 impressions, 250,157 reach
Whitby
After a successful debut in 2025, Whitby Restaurant Week returned from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 March. During the week, cafes, tearooms, bars and restaurants across Whitby offered set menus at one of four fixed price points – £10, £15, £20, or £30. This Is the Coast hosted free vouchers on their website and promoted Restaurant Week through on air advertisements and presenter talk ups. The Yorkshire Food Guide featured the event in their dedicated foodie newsletter, in addition to producing social content spotlighting five participating businesses. The diversity of cuisine and dining options that Whitby has to offer were showcased, from iconic tearooms to elevated seafood cuisine, award-winning fish and chips and East Asian inspired street food.
Results overview
- Total participating venues: 24
- Total number of Restaurant Week vouchers downloaded: 1,572
- £20 was the most popular price point
- This Is the Coast activity included 30 presenter talks ups, 8 promo trails per day, in addition to digital activity
- 205,400 views on the Yorkshire Food Guide Restaurant Week social content
- 319 Visit North Yorkshire newsletter opt-ins
- Paid Meta advertising campaign resulted in 359,169 impressions, 178,044 reach
Thank you for all the restaurants who took part and helped to make Restaurant Weeks a success.
