I Love Food Awards 2012

Australia's biggest people's choice restaurant awards return!

XYZnetworks' LifeStyle FOOD Channel today announces that the I Love FOOD Awards 2012 are now open for voting. Following the phenomenal success of the 2010 awards, with well over 100,000 votes received, the search is on to find Australia's favourite places to eat out for 2012.

Each week over 1.5 million people watch the LifeStyle FOOD Channel and visit the channel's website. This highly engaged community of food‐lovers understands great food and the I Love FOOD Awards brings them together to share and compare their favourite places to eat out.

Australia's biggest people's choice food awards, the I Love FOOD Awards reward Australia's best places to eat out as chosen by the Australian public. Whether it's a treasured local for a night off from cooking; yum cha with mates; or a five-star restaurant to celebrate special occasions - each has the opportunity to be voted Australia’s best.

From suburban pizzerias to restaurants in wineries, the I Love FOOD Awards reveal and celebrate Aussies' favourite culinary establishments across 27 categories. Previous national winners from around Australia include NSW’s Red Lantern (Favourite Vietnamese), WA’s Jus Burgers (Favourite Burger), Tasmania’s Villino Espresso (Favourite Coffee) and Queensland’s Restaurant Lurleen’s (Favourite Modern Australian).

Voting is easy and each vote goes in the draw to WIN $10,000! Simply go to www.lifestyle.com.au/vote to vote in the I Love FOOD Awards for your favourite places to eat out. Voting is now open and closes March 22, 2012. The winners will be announced early April.

For the first time, the I Love FOOD Awards are going mobile! You can vote with your mobile phone using a mobile-friendly version of the voting site; or, to make voting even easier while dining in your favourite restaurant, entrants also have the option to scan a unique QR code on I Love FOOD Awards posters and business cards using their mobile phone, taking them directly to the voting page for that restaurant. A QR Code is a unique pixilated barcode which can be scanned on a smart phone to direct a user through to branded content. This is a no fuss, direct way of voting.

In another first for the I Love FOOD Awards, users can now vote from Facebook. A custom-built Facebook application available at facebook.com/lifestylefoodchannel will sync with a user's Facebook information to determine their recent likes or check-ins and suggest favourites.

The voting results will be available on Australia's largest viewer voted online Restaurant Guide at www.lifestyle.com.au/food.

If you thought the only way to show your appreciation for a great meal and excellent service was to leave a good tip, then think again. Here’s your chance to support your favourite restaurant.