IT IS a sector that sustains businesses of all sizes, creates jobs, brings people and places together and is a flagship for the county in terms of promoting it nationally and internationally.
And the celebrations continue for this year’s winners in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards after a glittering gala dinner and ceremony at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton.
The sector is a key part of the Northamptonshire economy, said awards director Rachel Mallows. Headline sponsor Weetabix described the finalists in each of the 18 categories as “inspiring, innovative and creative”.
“Good food and drink is a powerful force in creating vibrant, healthy, connected communities,” said Rachel. “And what a community we have here in Northamptonshire. Small businesses, supported by large businesses, farmers, artisans.
“The organisations in this room sustain local jobs, bring people and places together and help us shine a spotlight on Northamptonshire food and drink.”
Guests feasted on a menu of Northamptonshire produce including Terrine of Houghton Ham; The Falcon Inn Guinness bread; British chicken with Coppa by Northampton Charcuterie Co; Hamm Tun Fine Foods Shoetown blue and wild mushroom risotto; Vanilla Panna Cotta with Stonyfield English Quality Sparking Wine.
They then rose to applaud the winners, runners-up and the highly commended in each category.
Stuart Branch, Weetabix’s people, digital, environment, health and safety director, told the ceremony: “We are especially delighted that sustainability is such a strong element and is included in every category.
“We have said many times that sustainability is in our DNA at Weetabix. That remains true today and we know that Rachel and the team share our ethos, which makes our sponsorship and our connection with the brilliant people in this county even more special.
“Well done to all of you who achieved gold, silver and bronze and to those who do not, thank you for making these decisions really hard to make. You are inspiring, innovative and creative and we salute you.”
Entries for the 2024 awards produced a total 93 finalists. Since the competition began 15 years ago, the organisers have received more than 15,000 entries and dished out more than 120,000 samples of county produce at food festivals.
“Thanks to you, the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards are one of the most supported events in the county,” said Rachel.
Among this year’s winners was the Hibiscus restaurant at Delapré Abbey, which shared the Restaurant of the Year gold award with The Hopping Hare in Northampton. Hibiscus executive head chef Bart Polinski told the ceremony: “Over 70% of our produce is local. That would not be possible without these wonderful awards and the people in this room.”
Hamm Tun Fine Foods, which supplies Hibiscus, won the Artisan Local Product category for its Northamptonshire Blue cheese. Founder Gary Bradshaw said: “Even when they announced it, I was convinced I had not won. It has been a tough year but things like this make it all worthwhile. I am a very happy man this evening.
The Chef of the Year award went to Joe Gould, head chef at Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa near Daventry. “I am so surprised to have won Whitco Chef of the Year because the competition really was fierce,” he said. “I feel proud to now ‘officially’ be part of the Northamptonshire Food and Drink scene.”
THE WINNERS
Artisan Local Drink of the Year
Sponsored by Warner’s Distillery
GOLD – Blackberry, Rhubarb & Cardamom Gin Liqueur, The Food Library
SILVER – Earls Baron Saxon 2023, New Lodge Vineyard
BRONZE – Wild & Furrow Oat Drink, Wild & Furrow
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Nuggernaut, Great Oakley Brewery
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Queen & Co Mead, Made by the Beekeeper
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Stoneyfields English Quality Sparkling Wine 2019 Rose, Stoneyfields
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Equinox – Single Malt English Whisky, Wharf Distiller
Artisan Local Product of the Year
Sponsored by Heygates Flour & Animal Feed Millers
GOLD – Northamptonshire Blue, Hamm Tun Fine Foods
SILVER – Moorgate Farm Turkey and Leek Pie, Moorgate Farm
BRONZE – New Lodge Vineyard Marmalade with Honey, Made by the Beekeeper
BRONZE – Raspberry & Blackberry Jam, The Jam Queen
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Cinnamon Roll THICC Cookie, Cookie Babes
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Coppa, Northampton Charcuterie Company Ltd
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Guinness Bread, The Falcon Inn
Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan Product of the Year
Sponsored by Daily Bread Co-operative
GOLD – Chilli, Shallot & Coriander Jelly, The Jam Queen
SILVER – Pecan & Caramel Cake, Sophisticake Creations
SILVER – Lemon Dairy-free ‘Ice Cream’ with a Blueberry Swirl, Your Cool
BRONZE – Shoetown Blue, Hamm Tun Fine Foods
BRONZE – Tongue Taster, Northampton Cheese Company Ltd
BRONZE – Artisan Nettle and Walnut Soda Bread, The Loving Chef
Booker Gastro Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Booker
GOLD – Althorp Coaching Inn, Great Brington
GOLD – The George, Great Oxenden
BRONZE – The Countryman, Staverton
BRONZE – The Kings Arms, Polebrook
HIGHLY COMMENDED – The Plough, Everdon
HIGHLY COMMENDED – The White Horse Inn, Stoke Albany
COMMENDED – The Rose & Crown, Yardley Hastings
Booker Young Chef of the Year
Sponsored by Booker
GOLD – Levi Moukam, The Falcon Inn, Fotheringhay
SILVER – Dylan Warren, The Four Pears
BRONZE – Joe Thornton, Nuovo
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Kamil Podgorski, formerly Whitco Thrapston, now Woburn Golf Club
COMMENDED – Freddie Duke, June Plumb Food
Canape of the Year
Sponsored by Portfolio Events
GOLD – Oscar Plomer, Tresham College
Community Café of the Year
Sponsored by Public Health in West Northamptonshire Council
GOLD – Woodford Halse Community Café
SILVER – Saints Coffee, Northampton
BRONZE – Whites Kitchen, Earls Barton
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Forge Coffee, Evenley
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Happy Mondays Coffee Co., Rushden
HIGHLY COMMENDED – New Lodge Farm, Bulwick
Farming Environment Award
Sponsored by Weetabix
GOLD – FRW Farrington & Son, Bottom Farm, Hargrave
COMMENDED – Johnny Wake, Courteenhall Estate
COMMENDED – Will Green, White House Farm, Bozeat
COMMENDED – Jim Beaty, Wold Farm, Burton Latimer
F&B Achiever of the Year
Sponsored by J Sweeney Accountants
GOLD – Luke Bavester, The Sheaf Inn and The Olde Red Lion
SILVER – John Lashley, Brooklyn Brownie
SILVER – Laurence Connisbee, Wharf Distillery
BRONZE – John Evans, Towcester Mill Brewery
BRONZE – Phil Saxby, Saxby’s Cider
Food and Drink College Student of the Year
Sponsored by University of Northampton
GOLD – Chloe Smith, Moulton College
SILVER – Dumitru Poroseci, Northampton College
SILVER – Oscar Plomer, Tresham College
Showcasing Healthy Food Produced in Northamptonshire
Sponsored by Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust
GOLD – Classic Cuisine
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Nattok2
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Eat Curious
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Friars Farm
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Breds Food
Healthy Food and Wellbeing Award (Workplace)
Sponsored by Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust
GOLD – Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd
SILVER – Silverstone Circuits Ltd
SILVER – Northampton General Hospital
Local Food Hero of the Year
Sponsored by Howes Percival Solicitors
GOLD – Jo West, Veggie Patch, Daylight Centre
SILVER – Katie Steele and Ian Angus, SNVB Community Larders
BRONZE – Steve Reid, Friars Farm
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Debbie Cull and Jane Gurney, The Farm Kitchen Bakery and School
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Milly Fyfe, No Fuss Meals for Busy Parents CIC.
One to Watch
Sponsored by Whitworth Bros. Ltd.
GOLD – Northampton Cheese Company Ltd
SILVER-The Farm Kitchen Bakery and School
SILVER – Bad Butler Hospitality
BRONZE – Vaha Lounge
BRONZE – The Althorp Coaching Inn
Restaurant of the Year
Sponsored by Greedy Gordons
GOLD – Hibiscus Fine Dining, Northampton
GOLD – The Hopping Hare, Duston
SILVER – Nuovo, Northampton
SILVER – The Falcon, Castle Ashby
BRONZE – Restaurant Ember, Wellingborough
BRONZE – The Cedar Restaurant, at Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa
HIGHLY COMMENDED – The Flavour Trailer, Brixworth
Weetabix Sustainability Award
Sponsored by Weetabix
GOLD – Blue Skies
SILVER – Waterloo Cottage Farm
SILVER – Jute Coffee
BRONZE – SNVB Community Larders
BRONZE – Incredible Bakery Company
Whitco Chef of the Year
Sponsored by Whitco
GOLD – Joe Gould, Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, Fawsley
SILVER – Ambroise Dupont, The Falcon, Castle Ashby
BRONZE – Zak Perrin, The Falcon Inn, Fotheringhay
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Hannah Dunne, Ember, Wellingborough
HIGHLY COMMENDED – Asa Cosgrove, formerly The Woolpack Inn, Islip, now The Wheatsheaf, Titchmarsh
World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year
Sponsored by British Pepper & Spice
GOLD – The Tamarind Restaurant, Northampton
GOLD – Mexican Fire Garden Ltd, Kettering
SILVER – Alacati Grill, Daventry
SILVER – Saffron Fine Indian Dining, Brackley
BRONZE – Sakura Sushi Ltd, Northampton
BRONZE – Moghul Rooms, Towcester
Outstanding Contribution to Food & Drink Northamptonshire
Sponsored by All Things Business
Georgina Jeyes, Jeyes of Earls Barton
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