To qualify as a restaurant nominee:

• A representative from the restaurant must nominate the establishment in order to be considered
• All restaurants in Nova Scotia are eligible
• Nominees can apply for multiple categories
• All qualified nominees must be in Nova Scotia
• Nominees must be operational
• Nominees can be seasonal or year-round businesses

To qualify as a restaurant staff nominee:

• Must currently run a professional kitchen or bar in a resaturant, bar, cafe, food truck, or catering company
• Must be in a leadership position
• Must currently be working in Nova Scotia

Each nominee will be reviewed by the Restaurant Association to ensure they meet the requirements. All qualified nominees will be included in a public vote. The top finalists in each category are based on the public vote. A panel of industry expert judges will then determine the winner in each category.

Judges will evaluate the winner based on (but not limited to) public feedback, rationale provided by the nominee, judges’ experience/expertise, local awareness.

More details on the qualifying criteria by category: Category Criteria

The Nova Scotia Restaurant Awards has 4 stages:

1. The restaurant representative completes the restaurant & staff nomination form and enters any of the relevant categories. *The nomination form must be filled out by a representative of the restaurant. Restaurants and staff can be recommended by colleagues or patrons through a recommendation form, but the nominee must give their permission to be eligible.
2. Public voting is open. Anyone can vote once and restaurants are encouraged to share the ballot with their patrons
3. The Judges Panel will evaluate the winner based on (but not limited to) public vote, rationale provided by the nominee, judges’ experience, expertise, and local awareness
4. The awards will be announced at the Nova Scotia Restaurants Awards Gala

The Nova Scotia Restaurant Awards is a valuable way to get your business in front of the top restaurant owners and operators in Nova Scotia.  For any sponsor inquiries, please reach out to Danielle at danielle@rans.ca.

Award Category Sponsor | $1200

Become the sponsor of one of the 12 Restaurant and Staff awards. Your business will be on the Award Plate, and a representative of your organization will have the opportunity to speak and present the award at the Nova Scotia Restaurant Awards Gala. Your business will be named in all marketing materials, on our sponsor signs and in the press release announcing the award winners.

Contributing Sponsor | $400 – $800

Sponsor a portion of the event such as the live entertainment, food or photography. Your business will be named in association with the part of the event that you sponsored and in all marketing materials, on our sponsor signs and in the press release announcing the award winners.

In-Kind Sponsor

Participate in the Nova Scotia Restaurant Awards by providing an in-kind sponsorship. Details to be discussed.