Why we won ‘Booking, ordering & payment solution of the year’

Last week, Favouritetable was named Booking, Ordering & Payment Solution of the Year at the Caterer Supplier Awards.

It was a proud moment for the whole team, and a great evening shared with colleagues and partners across the industry. More than anything, though, this award matters because of what it represents.

It reflects the way we’ve worked with hospitality operators over a number of years, by listening, adapting, and building a restaurant booking and management system that genuinely supports how businesses run day to day.

Built from a real problem

Favouritetable started with a simple conversation.

In 2010, I was speaking to a restaurant owner who explained how much they were paying for their booking system, and how little control they had in return. The more successful they became, the more they were charged. It didn’t feel right, and there didn’t seem to be a genuine alternative.

That was the starting point.

From day one, the aim was to build a fairer and more practical restaurant booking system One that operators could rely on without worrying about rising costs or losing control of their own customers.

What we’ve built

Over time, Favouritetable has grown into a complete restaurant management platform, covering bookings, table management, ordering and payments.

The focus has always been on making things simpler.

Operators shouldn’t need multiple systems that don’t talk to each other. They shouldn’t have to re-enter data, juggle different dashboards or deal with unnecessary complexity during a busy service.

By bringing everything together, reservations, pre-orders, online ordering, payments and guest data. The aim is to give teams one clear view of their business and reduce the day-to-day workload.

Importantly, while Favouritetable has been in the market for many years, the platform itself has continually evolved. We’ve consistently invested in a scalable, modern technology stack and embraced new ways of working, ensuring the product remains current, flexible and built for today’s hospitality environment, not based on legacy systems.

Designed around how restaurants actually work

A lot of what we build comes directly from conversations with our clients.

Over the past year, this has meant improving pre-ordering for large bookings, strengthening integrations with EPOS systems, and expanding booking channels through platforms like Google.

These aren’t features for the sake of it. They’re responses to real challenges: managing no-shows, handling peak demand, and making sure customers can book easily wherever they are searching.

As one client recently commented on our award win:

“This is a well-deserved win, the system has made a real difference to how we manage bookings and service.”

Feedback like this, focused on the impact of the platform itself, is what continues to drive how we develop the product.

What this award means for our clients

For our clients, this recognition should be reassuring.

Choosing a booking and management system is an important decision, and not one that operators take lightly. There is always competition in the market, and plenty of noise.

This award is independent recognition that the platform you are using today is performing at the highest level in the industry.

It reinforces that you’ve chosen a trusted restaurant booking and ordering system that is proven and continuing to evolve alongside the needs of the sector.

Many of our clients have backed us over a number of years, and that trust is something we take seriously. This recognition reflects the results you are achieving day-to-day in your own venues.

Recognised by the industry

The Caterer Supplier Awards are judged by leading figures across hospitality, and winning in this category reflects not just product capability, but real operational impact.

As highlighted in the official announcement, the award recognises technology that improves speed, accuracy, guest engagement and overall business performance.

As Jane Pendlebury, Caterer Awards judge and chief executive of HOSPA, noted:

“When cost pressures are top of the list of worries, Favouritetable has developed a solution to help manage monthly expenditure.”

That point goes to the heart of what we’ve always tried to do, build something that works commercially as well as operationally for hospitality businesses.

A shared achievement

This award belongs to the whole Favouritetable team.

From the developers who continue to improve the platform, to the teams working closely with clients, to the sales and marketing teams who bring the message to the market — everyone has played a part.

Alongside continued product development, the business itself has grown significantly. We are expanding into new markets and sectors, including hotel restaurants, and strengthening the senior team with key appointments as we scale. This reflects both the demand for the platform and our ambition as a business.

It also belongs to our clients and partners.

The relationships we’ve built, and the way we work collaboratively with operators, are a big part of what’s made this possible. Your feedback, ideas and day-to-day experience shape what we build.

What comes next

We see this as a milestone rather than an end point.

Hospitality is constantly evolving, and expectations from both operators and guests continue to change. Over the past year in particular, we’ve focused on helping operators stay in control, manage cost pressures and grow sustainably.

That won’t change.

One of the things that sets Favouritetable apart is the balance we’ve built, combining the energy and clarity of a modern, forward-looking platform with the experience of more than 18 years in the sector. That gives us a strong foundation to continue innovating while staying grounded in what operators actually need.

We also remain independently owned, which allows us to stay focused on long-term product development and customer outcomes, rather than short-term pressures.

Our focus remains the same: keep improving the platform, keep listening to our clients, and continue delivering a restaurant booking, ordering and payment system that works in the real world.

As we continue to invest in the product, we also recognise the importance of the human side of the business, ensuring that expert, UK-based help is always available when it’s needed.

We’re absolutely thrilled to be recognised in this way. It’s a reflection of the trust our clients place in us and the partnerships we’ve built together, and we’re excited for what comes next.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far.

See it in action

If you’d like to see how Favouritetable can support your business, we’d be happy to show you the platform in more detail: https://www.favouritetable.com/