29 Dic 2022 William Drew: “We put in place checks to minimise the opportunity for manipulation of the 50 Best list”

In an interview with Gastroeconomy, William Drew, Director of Content of 50 Best, details the current moment of the list ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ and its organization, the application of the rules and his rol as ‘guardian’ of the voting system. The next gala awards ceremony of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ will take place in Valencia in June 2023.

This is part of his official presentation on ‘50 Best’ website: “He is privileged to have eaten in a healthy proportion of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’, though the experience hasn’t been so healthy for his waistline”.

William Drew (Hampshire, Inglaterra, 1971) is the Director of Content of 50 Best, as well as a spokesman for the ‘50 Best’ brand and one more rol: to oversee the voting structure of the Academy that creates the lists, not only ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ — ranking launched in 2002 by ‘Restaurant Magazine’, of British media group William Reed Business Media—, but also ‘The World’s 50 Best Bars’, ‘Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants’, ‘Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’, ‘Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ or ‘Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants’. Drew has been a journalist and editor for two decades, spanning business-to-business and consumer magazines, as well as national newspapers.

The gala awards ceremony for the next edition of ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will take place in Valencia in June 2023. “We have an exciting announcement for the New Year”, William Drew advances, in this interview with Gastroeconomy. He details the current moment of the list and its organization, the application of the rules and his rol as ‘guardian’ of the voting system.

Full version of the interview in Spanish HERE.

Question. In the 20-21 years since The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list was created, other lists of top restaurants / chefs have emerged (particularly in recent times). Is it something that worries William Reed? Are you afraid that 50 Best will lose relevance as a listing?

Answer. Not at all. In fact, we’ve seen more and more of a desire, coming out of the pandemic, for the international hospitality community to celebrate the achievements of restaurants, chefs and restaurateurs. putting the spotlight on up-and-coming chefs and food trends, and showcasing the subtlety and complexity of various cuisines from around the world and this is something we continue to grow year after year. 50 Best is also about more than just lists, we’re about fostering collaboration within the international hospitality community and building relationships which reach far beyond the awards ceremonies each year. We are also glad to be part of a collective movement to shine a spotlight on the international hospitality scene. 

Q. What do you think it means for a restaurant, its business and its chef to enter the 50 Best list, move up the list and, specifically, be number one?

A. It provides recognition of the dedication, passion and skill of the teams behind those restaurants. It also helps promote those establishments internationally to well-travelled, discerning gourmets, having an economic impact as well by boosting the restaurants’ profiles and business.

Q. Ferran Adrià said that 50 Best was a ‘hot list’ because it reflected trends or the most interesting restaurants of the moment. Is there a restaurant profile that has more options to get on the list?

A. There is no criteria for selection; that is up to each voter to decide. For one voter, the food may be everything; for another the atmosphere may play a more important role. There is no set criteria – we don’t believe there is, or should be, a type of restaurant that features in the 50 Best lists. The diversity of food, of styles, of experiences is what keeps The World’s 50 Best Restaurants dynamic and interesting. It’s up to each individual voter to decide what makes any individual restaurant among their ‘best’ experiences of the voting period in question. We allow the experts to make up their own minds, and we simply collate their votes.

Q. In recent years, you have been incorporating new things within 50 Best: special awards, regional listings, list of bars, Best of the Best, 50 Next, 50 Best Discovery… apart from different host cities / regions each year (after London was the venue for the gala until 2015). Are you preparing other changes/news?

A. We are always taking into consideration new projects where we feel there is a need for a focus on a particular region or a different area of hospitality, whether that be bars or restaurants. We cannot confirm any specific plans regarding further restaurant or bar programmes at this stage. Though we can say we have an exciting announcement coming in the New Year so watch this space and always stay tuned to our website and social media channels for the latest updates on what 50 Best is up to! 

Q. It seems that the 50 Best system has been changing over the years with the aim of making the list more and more reliable. Do you think that improvements can still be made? For example, in relation to checking that the votes of the jury correspond to real visits to the voted restaurants in which, in addition, they have paid or that they are not votes corresponding to special events (such as 4 hands dinners) in which a chef cooks in another restaurant / country with a colleague instead of his restaurant.

A. The voting system is under constant review and there will often be adjustments to address any challenges we face or foresee. Of course, if we are convinced that an improvement can be made, we will make it! In conjunction with Deloitte, we put in place checks and balances to ensure the vote is as credible as possible, and to minimise the opportunity for manipulation. I would clarify that we do not insist that voters must have paid for their meals and we believe that our trusted experts are capable of independent assessment when they vote securely, anonymously and confidentially. We do insist on the dates that the diner visited the restaurant and this helps ensure they are not voting based on events such as ‘4 hands dinners’.

Q. At the same time with an increasing relevance of 50 Best, it is clear that some chefs are very active to win votes or climb the ranking, something like campaigning. That is, if a restaurant or the government of the region / country has a budget to take potential voters to that restaurant (inviting them to the trip, accommodation, lunch or dinner…), it seems that they have more chances of winning votes and climbing positions in the ranking. What do you think about that?

(Apart from that, for some people, it was controversial that Geranium opened in February 2022 only for journalists, foodies… who perhaps were voters and what perhaps gave it votes to be number one in the world).

A. Voters may hear about new restaurant openings where PR agencies are involved, though equally many restaurants handle their own in-house PR and marketing and also reach out to consumers and media about their restaurants. People also hear about new restaurant openings via word of mouth. If diners have been experiencing the outstanding characteristics of a restaurant – whether it is new or not, or whether or not they have been invited or went of their own accord – then it will be reflected in the results of the list.

Q. This year, the annual gala returns to Spain, specifically, to Valencia (after being held in Bilbao in 2018). Reasons to choose Valencia as host city.

A. After hosting a live edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 in London, marking the 20^th anniversary of the awards, we are delighted to partner with Visit Valencia to bring the awards to one of  Spain’s most forward-thinking cities. It also follows previous editions of 50 Best’s flagship event programme hosted in different parts of the world, ranging from the U.S. (2016) to Australia (2017), to the Basque region of Spain (2018) to Singapore (2019) to Antwerp, Flanders (2021). In 2023, visitors will have the opportunity to experience the superb restaurants, heritage and culture of Valencia, casting a spotlight on the city as an exciting culinary hotspot. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 event programme will offer an inspiring mix of unique, experiential and world-class dining offerings in incredible locations. Valencia is a much sought-after destination for its festivals, culture, sport and gastronomy, and we believe it is an excellent choice to be the host city for the next edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Q. Tell us about some trends you see in today’s food / gastronomy sector, perhaps even by looking at the restaurants that make the 50 Best list in 2022.

A. We’re still seeing the rise towards vegan and plant-based restaurants where vegetables are taking centre stage not only as standard now, but also as items of luxury. Geranium winning the No.1 spot – which followed Chef Kofoed’s decision to go meatless – further reinforces this as a trend that shows no signs of slowing. We’re also seeing a trend of a growing number of top-tier chefs leaving major cities, seeking opportunity in smaller markets to open restaurants in the countryside or more rural areas. It will be interesting to see how this shift impacts future lists.

Q. Will we see a Latin American or Asian restaurant as number 1 in 50 Best in the future?

A. It is possible! Any restaurant has the opportunity to take the No.1 position. Let’s see…

Pictures: ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’.