A Brentwood restaurant has made the final cut and is up for a prestigious national industry award.

Alec’s Restaurant in Navestock Side is up for two awards at the British Restaurant Awards - restaurant of the year and best restaurant Essex.

The awards, which are organised by World Restaurant Awards Guide (WRAG), is an annual event which organisers say provides “an opportunity for customers to nominate and vote for their best restaurants, chefs and culinary service in the UK”.

Other categories include best new restaurant, best luxury restaurant and best chef, featuring household names such as Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal.

%image(14535971, type="article-full", alt="Alec's Restaurant is located in Navestock Side, Brentwood")

Ajay Barak, owner of Alec’s, said: “We are over the moon. Any recognition is very welcome, and all the hard work that my team and I do.

“It’s quite unreal. We are really, really pleased.”

This year, the winners are due to be announced on September 12 at Sway in London.

Nominees were voted upon earlier in the year by readers of Chelsea Monthly magazine, The National Post, Luxury Weekly and viewers of VooVix.com.

The winners, however, are decided by the public, with votes now open on the British Restaurant Awards website.

%image(14535976, type="article-full", alt="Owner Ajay Barak said he is "over the moon" with the nominations")

%image(14535980, type="article-full", alt="The winners of the British Restaurant Awards will be announced at an event on September 12")