Portsmouth's Natty's Jerk crowned Uber Eats' Restaurant of the Year 2024

Natty’s Jerk, a restaurant based in Commercial Road, was awarded Uber Eats’ Restaurant of the Year 2024 at a prestigious ceremony in London on Thursday, November 14. Owner Natty Crutchfield described it as “surreal” after coming out on top of the 12 selected finalists from across the United Kingdom.

Along with the award, Natty won £100,000 to invest in his family-run business. The 12 finalists were whittled down from an initial 130 restaurants with the final stage seeing them cook for a distinguished judging panel, including chef and broadcaster, Andi Oliver.

Natty said: “We are thrilled to have been named Uber Eats’ Restaurant of the Year. It’s hard to put into words how much this means to us—it still feels surreal. The entire process has been amazing, from being named the best local restaurant in Portsmouth to cooking for culinary icons like Andi Oliver in London during the final stage."

Natty’s Jerk is the second winner of the awards following on from Sandwich Sandwich who won in 2023. Since the win the business has gone from strength to strength, opening its first London store. Natty is hoping to follow on from last year’s winner’s success.

He said: “Seeing the incredible journey of Sandwich Sandwich over the past year shows us what’s possible, and we’re beyond excited to take the next steps with Uber Eats’ support. We can't thank them enough for this life-changing opportunity."

Matthew Price, regional general manager of Uber Eats in the UK, Ireland, and Northern Europe, was also one of the judges. He praised Natty’s Jerk for its fantastic food.

He said: "We were blown away by not only Natty’s incredible food but also their inspiring story and how they built their business. I speak on behalf of the judging panel and everyone at Uber Eats who are thrilled that they have been crowned our Restaurant of the Year for 2024.

“Local favourite restaurants are at the heart of everything we do at Uber Eats, and I am delighted that we can celebrate all the finalists today!"

Andi Oliver presented the award to Natty. She said: “It was a joy to be part of this year’s judging panel. The Uber Eats Awards truly highlight the quality and diversity of independent restaurants across the UK, and the competition was super tough this year.

“Natty’s creative menu, passion for community engagement and authentic approach to business really stood out. I’m excited to see what they achieve next, they make me very proud!”

The full list of winners on the night can be found on https://ubereatsawards.com/.

The News visited Natty’s Jerk last year to chat to Natty and taste his incredible food, the video of which is embedded in this article.