AFTER an exciting summer packed with cook-offs, mystery shopping visits and judging sessions, the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards’ favourite autumn task is to reveal the special guest for its end of year dinner – and that announcement is now just days away.
And rather like the final challenge in the Great British Bake Off, this year’s culinary celebrity is sure to be a showstopper, as Awards Director Rachel Mallows MBE DL of The Mallows Company explains: “Given the calibre of our previous special guests, we’re thrilled to be welcoming someone of equal stature to join our wonderful celebration and look forward to impressing upon him – or her! – the amazing talent and passion shown by all of our finalists.
“We know that success in this competition means such a great deal to those businesses and that sharing their evening with a culinary great such as Michel, who was with us last year, is the icing on the cake – and this year’s guests will not be disappointed.”
Details of the special guest will be announced on the Awards’ website and via social media on Monday 2 October.
Among those waiting to learn the news and discover if they will be picking up one of the highly-regarded category titles are the finalists who recently took part in the bake-off in the Independent Cafe/Tea Room of the Year category (sponsored by Pidy UK) representing (in alphabetical order): Forget Me Not Cafe, Moulton; The Apothocoffee Shop, Earls Barton;
The Bread & Butter Factory, Northampton and Workbridge Coffee Shop, Northampton.
The venues were asked to prepare, cook and serve a scone, a signature cake or biscuit and a drink to a team of diners including the Leader of Northamptonshire County Council, Cllr Heather Smith, Suzanne Fairey, Commercial Manager at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, and local community leader Neelam Aggarwal MBE DL.
While whisking, baking and piping they were being watched and scored on everything from hygiene to presentation, teamwork and of course taste by a panel of judges which included former cookery school director Mary Laing, Fabien Levet, who was proudly representing Pidy UK, and Deborah Manger, a contestant in the 2013 series of the Great British Bake Off.
Having been a judge in the county competition for the previous five years, Deborah is running out of superlatives to describe the event, saying: “It’s obvious that the news about these awards has spread and the venues participating are just upping their game, year on year.
“Not only did they create some amazing cakes and scones, which made the judging process as difficult as ever, but they did it all with such calmness which was great to watch. I was really very impressed.”
While many of the finalists lists are already published on the Awards’ website – www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk – judging has yet to take place in the remaining categories, including F&B Achiever of the Year, sponsored by Howes Percival LLP, and Weetabix Local Food Hero, sponsored by the Burton Latimer-based breakfast cereal company.
The winner and runners-up in all of the categories will be announced at the Awards Dinner taking place at Royal & Derngate in Northampton on Wednesday 15 November. Tickets priced at £100 (plus VAT) are available by calling Rachel on 01933 664437 or by emailing
Meanwhile you can also follow the competition on twitter at @foodawardsHQ or on Facebook at facebook.com/foodawards