The 2026 BRAVOs have once again demonstrated the extraordinary power of the Brighton, Hove and Sussex public when they get behind our hospitality industry. With more than 71,000 votes cast and 190 separate venues placing in the BRAVO Top 20 across 18 categories, the scale of engagement is undeniable.
But for us, the real story isn’t just the votes – it’s the immediate commercial impact following the online announcement.
A Celebration of Being Loved
The BRAVOs have always been a celebration of hospitality on the customer’s terms. The ultimate measure of quality here is simple: Does a customer love a venue enough to vote for it? When 190 different businesses place in our Top 20s, it proves that quality in Sussex comes in every shape and size, from the smallest takeaway to the most established restaurant.
High Intent, High Engagement
When the results went live, the response was instantaneous. The BRAVOs delivered over 56,000 pageviews on announcement day alone. This wasn’t casual browsing; the data shows a massive wave of consumer intent:
- Time on Site: An average of 3 minutes 38 seconds per person.
- Deep Discovery: Users clicked through nearly eight pages each.
- Sustained Momentum: Day two saw over 3,500 individual return visitors, generating another 17,000 pageviews – a significant increase across the board compared to 2025.
In simple terms: the BRAVOs don’t just celebrate hospitality; they actively drive customers through your doors. When people use our site, they are making an active decision about where to spend their money next. Like the chap who told one pub that he had popped in as he was working through the Top 20 pubs list.
Visibility as a Partnership
As the organisers of the BRAVOs, RestaurantsBrighton.co.uk is all about visibility, discovery, and amplifying the positive. We promote the awards across our social media, newsletters, and websites to ensure maximum reach. So do our supporters and media partners with many institutions across the city joining in to encourage engagement: Visit Brighton, Brighton Fringe, the University of Brighton, Brilliant Brighton, as well as many others.
The venues that consistently do well in the BRAVOs understand that they need to participate in the campaign and signal to their customers that they care. Like the lady I bumped into in one Hove bakery as I was delivering window stickers this weekend: “I missed that they were part of it so I voted for my second favourite.” When a venue actively engages its audience and promotes the vote, they are significantly more likely to see that energy reflected in the results.
It is about building a direct connection with your regulars long before the first vote is cast.
Beyond Announcement Day
The value of a BRAVO placement doesn’t end when the announcement day traffic settles. We are committed to keeping these results live and relevant until the 2027 season begins.
- The BRAVO lists: The Top 20 lists across 18 categories are available as web pages, as printable lists for your fridge, and regularly shared on our social media.
- Year-Round Promotion: From our “Best of” guides to seasonal features, we actively promote the BRAVO leaderboards to our audience all year round.
- The Trust Mark: A BRAVO badge is a permanent signal that your customers think you are worthy of their attention and their money and influence thousands of “where shall we go?” decisions every single week.
Looking Ahead
While we get on with the business of celebrating the Brighton hospitality scene to as many hungry people as possible, you can start building your newsletter lists for next year. By the time the next BRAVOs come around, you will be ready with a happy, loyal, and engaged customer base – a massive asset to any business.
The BRAVOs are more than an awards campaign.
They are a driver of discovery, a celebration of the industry, and a tangible boost to the local economy that lasts from one year to the next.
If you are one of the 190 BRAVO venues – a huge well done from all of us. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve got 18 Top 20 lists to work through. Best get a walk in before my next booking.
