FOLLOWING a hugely successful 2016 launch, the Food Porn Awards has returned in its search to find the north west’s – and Cheshire's – most tantalising dishes.

Restaurants, bars, pubs and eateries will once again be encouraged to enter images of their best-looking food in order to win the coveted 2017 award.

The awards will open on Monday, September 12 and close on Sunday, November 13, showcasing the finest culinary creations across a variety of cuisines.

Twelve finalists, chosen anonymously by a select judging panel, will move through to the second round, recreating their dishes during a live cook-off.

STM Photography, the curators of the Food Porn Awards, will work alongside the chefs to capture their dish before the final entries are revealed and the judges make their final decisions.

This year’s winner will once again be announced at the Food Porn Awards exhibition at the Northern Restaurant and Bar Show in March 2017.

The awards have also launched a public element, encouraging the general public to promote ‘would be nominees’ when visiting favourite eateries in the region, uploading their images to social media channels using #foodpornawards.

Entirely separate to the main competition, the public images will form an online gallery that will complement the main showcase of images from the 2017 Food Porn Awards.

Last year’s awards saw more than 250 entries, among them Alderley Edge and now Knutsford favourite, The Botanist, Paul Newman and Dave Mooney's stable of New Moon Company pubs, TV chef Simon Rimmer’s Cheshire based restaurant Earle by Simon Rimmer, Manchester House, and Ramsbottom restaurant Hearth of the Ram.

Phil Marshall, STM managing director and curator of the Food Porn Awards, said: “Last year’s awards demonstrated the diverse range of innovative food, flair and skill in the North West. Completely free to enter, the return of this year’s Food Porn Awards will enable restaurants and bars across the region to showcase their culinary talent and work with the talented team of award partners, specialists in food and drink imagery, video, social media and PR.

“Expanding the awards into Yorkshire and widening the North West region to encompass Cumbria adds a new dimension to the competition and gives restaurants on either side of the Pennines the chance to show what the North really has to offer.

"We want chefs and restaurants to be at their most creative and we’re looking forward to seeing what talent is served up this year.”

For more information on the awards and how to enter, including full terms and conditions, please visit foodpornawards.co.uk.