Kebabs are mostly known as the go-to meal for boozy Brits after a long and hard drinking session.
But for this list of finalists, there’s much more to a doner than just soaking up the night’s alcohol.
Contenders have been named for this year’s British Kebab Awards, with 16 categories up for grabs by Just East.
Kebab houses from every corner of the UK will battle it out for gongs including chef of the year, best delivery and best fine dining.
Kebab houses from every corner of the UK will battle it out for gongs including chef of the year, best delivery and best fine dining (stock)
More than 5,000 different businesses were put forward by the public, before the list was whittled down into just 153.
Winners will be announced in a ceremony at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel on March 12.
The UK’s first kebab shop, Istanbul Restaurant in Soho, opened during the Second World War – there are pictures of it in the Imperial War Museum.
However it was not until 1966 that the famous doner kebab – cooked on a vertical spit – first appeared with the opening of the Hodja Nasreddin Kebab House by Çetin Bukey and Kojay Hüsey in in north London’s Newington Green.
There are now over 20,000 kebab outlets in the UK selling around 2,500 tonnes of lamb and chicken doner a week.
Chef of the year
Besnik Hajdari /Javit’s, Gilmerton, Edinburgh
Aziz Gezer / Uni Kebab, Southampton
Bektas Avci / Merhaba, Cambridge
Emrullah Sasmaz /Abra Kebabra, Croydon
Bulent Demir / Misya Meze & Grill, Old Town, Stevenage
Erhan Karakoc/Istanblue, Royton, Oldham
Haci Akdogan / Haz Restaurant, City, London
Ali Dirik / Mangal 2 Restaurant, Stoke Newington, London
Ali Cicek / Cyprus Mangal, Pimlico, London
Mazlum Demir / Skewd Kitchen, Barnet, London
Mazlum Demir and Skewd Kitchen in Barnet, London are up for the prestigious best chef of the year award
Best customer satisfaction
Uni Kebab, Southampton
Arabica Bar & Kitchen, Borough Market, London
Greek On The Street, Croydon, London
Malpas Barbeque, Chester
A’la Turka Turkish Barbecue & Grill Restaurant, Birtley, Gateshead
Olives and Meze, Clapham, London
Kabul City Restaurant, Edgware, London
Misya Meze & Grill, Old Town, Stevenage
Sahadet, Ilford, London
Hiba Express, Holborn, London
Sahadet in Ilford, London is among the nominees for best customer satisfaction
Best value restaurants
The Meze Bromley, Bromley, London
Akarsu Turkish Restaurant & Grill, Durham
Gokyuzu, Harringay, London
Aslan Bar & Grill, Weymouth
Persian Paradise Restaurant, Southampton
Turkish Kitchen, Peterborough
Petek Restaurant, Stroud Green, London
Sultan Sofrasi, Bow Church, London
Divan, Finchley, London
Urban Spice, Manchester
Aslan Bar & Grill, Weymouth has a lot to be excited about, and could take home the best value award
Best newcomer kebab house in London/outside London
Meze Lounge Sidcup, Bexley, London
Istanbul Grill, Denton, Manchester
Can’s Meze Upminster, Upminster, London
The Royal Albion Kebab King, Hounslow, London
Pita and Brew, Newcastle upon Tyne
Melin Bar & Restaurant, Harlow, Essex
Rakki Rakkas, Nottingham
Pircio, Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire
The Skew Hutton, Brentwood, Essex
Rakki Rakkas, Nottingham may be named the best newcomer kebab house in London/outside London
Best kebab restaurant in South and East London
The Meze Bexleyheath, Bexleyheath
Lahore Kebab House East, Whitechapel
Cappadocia Restaurant, Kingston
Teras, Walthamstow
Efes Restaurant, Tower Hamlets
Istanbul Grill Restaurant, Havering
Pivaz Restaurant, Hackney
Ambience Restaurant, Wimbledon
Mezzom, South Woodford
Nazar Restaurant, Hackney
Teras in Walthamstow is up for the best kebab restaurant in South and East London award
Best kebab restaurant in North and West London
Testi, Stoke Newington
Ali’s Berlin Doner, Southall
Diyarbakir Restaurant, Harringay
Selale Restaurant, Harringay
Kervan Sofrasi Restaurant, Finchley
Durum Restaurant, Finchley
Hala Restaurant, Harringay
UMUT 2000 LIMITED, Harringay
Devran, Harringay
Persian Kebab, Acton
Persian Kebab in Acton is among those up for the best kebab restaurant in North and West London award
Best takeaway in London
Brothers Kebab, Addiscombe, Croydon
Brothers Kebab & Fish Bar, South Ealing
Greek On The Street, Croydon
Abra Kebabra (Image: Google Maps)
Abra Kebabra, Croydon
The Best Kebab, Old Street
Planet Kebab, West Croydon,
The Best Turkish Kebab, Stoke Newington
West Kebab, Perivale
Kebab Centre, South Croydon
Pasha BBQ & Kebab, Wimbledon
Archway Kebab, Archway
Brothers Kebab, Addiscombe, Croydon, has been nominated for the best takeaway in London
Best takeaway regional
Hidden Gem Kebab House, Weymouth
Torquay Charcoal Grill, Torquay
I am Döner, Leeds
Barbecue, Middleton, Manchester
Kosta’s Greek Deli, Sheffield
Woodview Fish Bar & Kebab House, Castleford, West Yorkshire
Kebab Kitchen, Bristol
Charleys Kebabs & Grill, Sheffield
Armenian Kebab House, Blackpool
Albany Grill, Bexley, London
Istanbul Grill, Woking, Guildford
Master Kebabs, Gillingham, Kent
Charcoal Grill, Torquay could be named one of 16 winners when the awards ceremony takes place later this month
Best kebab restaurant regional
Turknaz Restaurant, Whitley Bay, Northumberland
Shish Mediterranean Meze & Grill, Southend-on-Sea
The Mad Turk, Stamford, Lincolnshire
Marmaris Kebab & Pizza Place, Dunstable, Bedfordshire
Anatolia Turkish Cuisine, Lytham Saint Annes, Lancashire
A’la Turka, Birtley, Gateshead
Elder and Wolf, Whitley Bay, Northumberland
Istanbul BBQ, Chester
Likya, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire
Meze Mangal, Bushey Heath, Harrow
Best kebab house in Scotland
Javit’s Gilmerton, Edinburgh
Alla Turca Turkish Restaurant – Grill & Meze Bar, Glasgow
Turkish Carry Out, Edinburgh
Morello, Glasgow
Dino Pizza & Kebab, Forfar
Dinos Pizza in Montrose
Ada Restaurant, Edinburgh
Corfu Kebabs, Dundee
Verdo Turkish BBQ, Edinburgh
Verdo Turkish BBQ in Edinburgh is among those who could be named the best kebab house in Scotland
Best kebab house in Northern Ireland
Chaska, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
The Sphinx, Glengormley, Newtownabbey
The Sphinx Stranmillis, Belfast
Lahore Kebab House, Newtownards, County Down
Mitos’s Kebab, Belfast
The Sphinx is among those fighting it out to be named the best kebab house in Northern Ireland
Best kebab house in Wales
Pasha Takeaway, Tregaron
Golden BBQ, Cardiff
Wales Kebab, Abertridwr, Caerphilly
Mezza Luna, Cardiff
Aydin’s Eatery, Colwyn Bay
Bridge Kebabs, Menai Bridge
Bella Bella, Anglesey
Mold Kebab Burger & Pizza House, Mold
Troy, Cardiff
Marco The Takeaway, Aberystwyth
Mezza Luna in Cardiff is hoping to be the pride of Wales as it battles it out for a top gong
Best fine dining
Lokanta, Broomhill, Sheffield
Skewd Kitchen, Barnet, London
Tarshish Mediterranean Grill, Wood Green, London
Veysos Brasserie, Hertford, Herts
Apadana Restaurant, Kensington, London
Havet Restaurant, Bromley, London
Kibele Restaurant, Fitzrovia, London
Ishtar Restaurant, Marylebone, London
Hazev Restaurant, Canary Wharf, London
Sheesh Restaurant, Chigwell, Essex
Best kebab van of the year
Atalay’s Kebab Van, Thame, Oxon
Diamond Kebab, Cambridge
Hassan’s, Oxford,
Billericay Kebab Van, Billericay
George’s Bodrum Kebab, Gloucester
Mo’s Best Kebab, Trowbridge, Wilts
Just Eat best delivery
Irmak B B Q, Dunstable, Beds
Kashmir Balti House29 Market St, New Mills, Derbs
Marmaris Kebab & Pizza Place, Dunstable, Beds
Wellingborough Kebab House, Wellingborough, Northants
Kebabalicious, Wythenshawe, Manchester
Kebab Ye, Leighton Buzzard, Beds
King Kebab House, Corby, Northants
Dom’s Place, Clapton, London
199 Lower Clapton Rd, London Hackney, London
Charcoal Grill Turkish Restaurant, Enfield, London
Urban Spice, Manchester
Best supplier award
Velis Doner Kebab Manufacturers Ltd, Burton-on-Trent
Best Catering, Edmonton, London
Ace 4 Kebabs, Yateley, Hants
Efes Navstar Ltd, Glasgow
Ozden Catering/ Capital Catering Equipment, Harringay, London
Kral Catering tvexima ltd, Keighley, West Yorks
Star Catering Supplies Ltd
Prime Quality Foods, Enfield, London
J.J. Food Service, Enfield, London
Holland Bazaar, Enfield, London