Restaurant Weeks is to celebrate its tenth anniversary next year highlighting local “food harvest heroes”.

The Bermuda Tourism Authority promotion is scheduled to take place from January 14 to February 11.

Restaurants are encouraged to register for the event which will – for the first time – run for four weeks in celebration of the milestone.

The deadline to register online is November 20 and fixed-price menus according to price tier must be submitted by November 30.

Restaurateurs are encouraged to create Bermuda-inspired menus focusing on five local ingredients: lobster; lionfish; goat’s cheese; honey; and locally grown produce.

Each harvest area is highlighted in a new series of Restaurant Weeks videos designed to promote the island’s food industry. The first in the series launched today.

Glenn Jones, the interim chief executive and chief experience development officer at the BTA, said: “Storytelling with Bermudians at the forefront is essential to helping us differentiate what Bermuda has to offer.

“The distinct quality we get from our fishermen, farmers and beekeepers is second to none, especially in winter, when travellers are wowed by Bermuda’s farm-to-table style.

“I look forward to a delicious celebration of our tenth Restaurant Weeks, when we’ll heap praise on the quiet harvest heroes behind the island’s food industry.”

The BTA has promoted locally grown foods with various events and campaigns, including Bermuda-inspired Restaurant Weeks menus which are marketed by the organisation.

It has partnered with local guide Doreen Williams James on a foraging tour and last year hosted a Bermuda Heritage and Culture Dinner with chef Eric Adjepong of television’s Top Chef fame.

Two thirds of restaurants that responded to a BTA survey earlier this year said that hosting food experiences raised the profile of Restaurant Weeks 2020, even when they took place outside of a traditional restaurant.

About three quarters said they will now consider hosting their own food experiences for Restaurant Weeks.

Restaurateurs can indicate when signing up for the event whether they would like to host a special local food harvest-themed event.

More than 50 restaurants took part in this year’s Restaurant Weeks.

For the 2021 event, diners can expect three price tiers: $22, $32 and $42 for three-course, fixed price menus for dinner, and $22 two-course meals for lunch.