Pictured: Mooche Wala, Denton (Finalist in the World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year category)

The best dining experiences in Northamptonshire are in the running for top honours as finalists in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards’ venue categories are announced.

Shortlisted businesses are competing for titles including Booker Gastro Pub of the Year, Community Café of the Year, Restaurant of the Year, and World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year. Winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton, on 16 October.

Rachel Mallows MBE, awards director, said being shortlisted was “a defining moment” for hospitality businesses. “These awards are a badge of honour for venues delivering unforgettable experiences,” she added.

Booker Gastro Pub of the Year finalists:

  • The Four Pears, Little Houghton

  • The Kings Arms, Polebrook

  • The Kings Head, Spratton

  • The Rose & Crown, Yardley Hastings

  • The Sheaf Inn, West Haddon

  • The Tollemache Arms, Harrington

Community Café of the Year finalists:

  • Bob’s Café, Corby

  • Bugbrooke Community Café CIC

  • Café Oak (Youth Works), Geddington

  • Saints Coffee, Northampton

  • The Hut Café, Kettering

  • Whites Kitchen, Earls Barton

Saints Coffee, Northampton
Saints Coffee Northampton Finalist in the Community Cafe category

Restaurant of the Year finalists:

  • Restaurant Ember, Wellingborough

  • Nuovo, Northampton

  • The Gallery at Escapade, Silverstone

  • The Palmichael Restaurant, Burton Latimer

  • Staci’s Italian Restaurant, Rothwell

World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year finalists:

  • Bodrum Turkish Cuisine, Burton Latimer

  • Mooche Wala, Denton

  • Saffron Fine Dining, Brackley

  • Taste of India, Rothwell

  • The Raj, Kettering

  • Truva Lounge Cocktail Bar, Towcester

Sponsors praised the quality and resilience of Northamptonshire’s hospitality scene. Stuart Hyslop, catering managing director at Booker, said: “We’re passionate about celebrating the businesses that help make our county’s food scene so vibrant.”

The annual awards celebrate the county’s culinary excellence, from artisan producers to standout chefs, encouraging residents to buy and support local.

For full details of all categories, visit northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk.