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‘A powerful force in creating vibrant, healthy, connected communities’: Food and drink manufacturers take centre stage at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards

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.

Bart Polinski.

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

Hamm Tun Fine Foods founder Gary Bradshaw celebrates gold in the Artisan Local Product category for his Northamptonshire Blue cheese.

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

Chloe Smith with her gold award at Student of the Year.

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

Georgina Jeyes.

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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