Rachel Mallows, director of the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards.
THE SEARCH is under way for the stars who make Northamptonshire a destination of choice when it comes to food, drink, places and hospitality.
Entries have begun to come in for the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2025-26, with previous winners urging their industry colleagues to follow in their footsteps.
The competition, now in its 17th year, will celebrate the winners in its 18 categories at a gala dinner and ceremony staged at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre in October.
Food manufacturer Weetabix is again the headline sponsor. Launching this year’s competition at Northampton College, awards director Rachel Mallows said: “Feedback from finalists and Gold award winners reinforces the power of having the awards logo on your website, in your window and on your menus or receipts to help build reputation, encourage and celebrate staff and generate more sales.
“At the end of the day that is what the competition is all about – supporting our food and drink community to flourish.
“It is about building businesses, creating jobs and supporting the economy of our county. It is also about the sense of community we have and our ambition to make food and drink a key attraction not only for us but also for visitors to the county.”
Weetabix, whose factory is at Burton Latimer, has been headline sponsor of the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards for six years.
“That pride that continues to grow as we become more and more familiar with the efforts of the people and businesses that go into making Northamptonshire a county to be reckoned with,” said the company’s group people and technology director Stuart Branch.
“We continue to help in a small way where we can, judging categories, attending events and providing mentors where possible but we are super conscious that this is a very small contribution compared to the endless hard work, passion and constant striving for better that the vast range of people and organisations contribute and that the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drinks awards celebrate.”
The categories in the Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards are:
Artisan Local Drink of the Year (Sponsor: Wharf Distillery)
Artisan Local Product of the Year (Sponsor: Heygates Flour and Animal Feed Millers)
Artisan Local Vegetarian / Vegan Product of the Year
Booker Gastro Pub of the Year (Sponsor: Booker)
Booker Young Chef of the Year (Sponsor: Booker)
Canapé competition (Sponsor: Portfolio Events)
Chef of the Year (Sponsor: Greedy Gordons)
Community Café of the Year (Sponsor: West Northamptonshire Council Public Health)
Farming Environment Award (Sponsor: Weetabix)
F&B Achiever of the Year (Sponsor: J Sweeney Accountants)
Food and Drink College Student of the Year (Sponsor: University of Northampton)
Healthy Food and Wellbeing Award (Sponsor: Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust)
Local Food Hero of the Year (Sponsor: Howes Percival)
One To Watch (Sponsor: Whitworth Bros. Ltd Flour Millers)
Outstanding Contribution to Food & Drink (Sponsor: All Things Business)
Restaurant of the Year (Sponsor: Whitco Catering & Bakery Equipment Limited)
Weetabix Sustainability Award (Sponsor: Weetabix)
World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year (Sponsor: British Pepper & Spice Co. Ltd)
For more details on the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2025/26, including entry and nomination forms, visit the Awards’ website www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk.
Call the Awards team on 01933 664437 or email
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