A packed Royal and Derngate for the awards ceremony
Join the party at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards... one of the county’s biggest occasions of the year
The achievements of hundreds of food and drink businesses and individuals across Northamptonshire took centre stage at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, for this year’s Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.
A total 64 finalists in 13 award categories enjoyed their night in the spotlight with 350 guests at the glittering awards ceremony.
Awards director Rachel Mallows said: “Not only do we celebrate achievement at the awards evening, we also provide long-lasting support with individual mentoring, business support and training, marketing and promotion as well as entrance into the Great Taste Awards for our Gold product and drink winners.”
The awards, now in their 13th year, received hundreds of applications in 13 categories from what Rachel described as “a diverse range of ambitious and driven individuals who make up the fabric of Northamptonshire’s food and drink sector.”
Major food and drinks businesses across Northamptonshire, including headline sponsor Weetabix, again generously supported and sponsored the awards. Weetabix’s group HR and IT director Stuart Branch said: “What an incredible evening celebrating such inspirational and forward-thinking people and businesses who make up the Northamptonshire Food and Drink scene.
“As a business based within the county, we are immensely proud to support the awards process with year-long backing to ensure that those who are declared finalist or winners in each category, receive the recognition they deserve as well as mentoring and guidance.”
Market-leading wholesaler Booker, based at Wellingborough, is another supporter of the awards and sponsored the Young Chef of the Year award.
Its catering development controller Nathan Portess said: “The Booker Young Chef of the Year competition showcases the very best talent that Northamptonshire’s young people working in the hospitality and catering industry has to offer At Booker, we are committed to helping chefs across the county by improving choice, price and service for them and we are delighted to support the 2021/2022 Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.”
MC for the evening was BBC broadcaster Helen Fospero. “I am bowled over by the skill, talent and teamwork showcased tonight by finalists and award winners,” she said. “It is my first visit to Northampton and I will certainly be returning more often to sample the quality produce the county has to offer.
“It is incredible to see so many young people being encouraged to learn chef skills and forge a career in the food and drinks sector too.”
MEET THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS
MEET THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS
Artisan Local Drink of the Year
GOLD Steam Ale – Towcester Mill Brewery
SILVER Old Silson Gin – Wharf Distillery
BRONZE Infusion Set – Jelley’s Vodka with Tea Lab; Black Cherry and Vanilla Rum – New Town; Solar Star – Phipps NBC; Pilsner – Silverstone Brewery
Artisan Local Product of the Year Sponsor: Heygates
GOLD Blueberry Jam – Friars Farm; Jeyes’s Northamptonshire Sauce – Jeyes of Earls Barton
SILVER Salted Caramel Ice Cream – Ganders Goat; Northamptonshire Blue – Hamm Tun Fine Foods
BRONZE Mango Caramel Popcorn – What’s Poppin’; Picklish – Bite Me Spices
Artisan Local Vegetarian/
Vegan Product of the Year
Sponsor: Daily Bread
GOLD Pecan, Pumpkin and Cranberry Cake – Sophisticake Creations
SILVER Little Bertie – Hamm Tun Fine Foods; Vegan Sausage Roll – Whittlebury Bakery
BRONZE Mushroom Biriyani – Bite Me Spices; Chilli Jam – Friars Farm
Booker Dining Venue of the Year Sponsor: Booker
GOLD The Falcon at Castle Ashby; The Pig and Waffle, Grafton Underwood
SILVER Murray’s at Whittlebury; The Palmichael Restaurant, Burton Latimer; The Red Lion, Cranford
BRONZE The Folly Inn, Towcester; The Tollemache Arms, Harrington
Booker Young Chef of the Year
Sponsor: Booker
GOLD Ellie Galloway of The Church Restaurant, Northampton
SILVER David Smith of The Palmichael Restaurant, Burton Latimer
BRONZE Louis Smith of Boboli Restaurant, Kibworth Harcourt; Shawn Monk of The Falcon, Fotheringhay
Chef of the Year Sponsor: Dawn Farms
GOLD Zak Perrin of The Falcon, Fotheringhay
SILVER Jim Millar of Willow and Brook, Apethorpe; Bart Polinski of The Orangery, Delapre Abbey
BRONZE Michael O’Gorman of Side Order Catering, Wellingborough
Independent Café/Tearoom of the Year Sponsor: Whitco
GOLD Ten Hands Cafe Bar, Towcester
SILVER The Apothocoffee Shop, Earls Barton; The Good Loaf, Northampton; The Grain Store Coffeehouse, Woodford
BRONZE New Lodge Farm, Bulwick; The Watermill Tearooms, Ringstead
Food and Drink College Student of the Year
Sponsor: The Mallows Company
GOLD with DISTINCTION Emma McGlamery (Moulton College)
GOLD Phoebe Gluyas (Moulton College)
SILVER Dan James (Northampton College); Susanna Pack (Moulton College)
BRONZE Lewis Gurney (Tresham College)
F&B Achiever of the Year
Sponsor: Howes Percival
GOLD Matt Fountain of Bewiched Coffee; Laurence Conisbee of Wharf Distillery
SILVER Steve Reid of Friars Farm
BRONZE Greta McDonald of Sweet Lounge; Jeeva Sanmugam of Classic Cuisine
Local Food Hero of the Year
Sponsor: Moulton College
GOLD The Old Swan, Earls Barton; Northampton Siri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara
SILVER The Old White Hart, Far Cotton; Northampton Hope Centre
One to Watch
Sponsor: Whitworth Bros Ltd.
GOLD Yum Chop Foods, Towceste; Explore Chocolate, Finedon
SILVER Vicky’s Kitchen, Northampton
BRONZE Roman Way Brewery, Weedon; Brothers Pub Co, Northampton
Weetabix Sustainability Award
Sponsor: Weetabix
GOLD Blue Skies, Pitsford; Re, Flore
SILVER Syan Farms, Horton
BRONZE Sol Laug Haven, Moulton; Applegate Organics, Northampton; The Food Library, Northampton
World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year Sponsor: British Pepper & Spice
GOLD Saffron, Northampton
SILVER June Plum, Wellingborough
BRONZE The Exotic Dining, Kettering; Tamarind, Northampton