THE CELEBRATIONS are continuing for the winners after last night (Wednesday)’s Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2022/23.
They proved themselves the best of the best out of hundreds of nominations and applications across 15 categories, from a range of individuals and businesses who make up the fabric of Northamptonshire’s food and drink sector.
The awards, now in their 14th year, celebrate all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues, producers and rewarding those who work so hard within the culinary sector.
The results were announced at a dazzling awards dinner at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate. The evening began with formal welcomes from awards director Rachel Mallows of The Mallows Company, Jo Gordon from Royal & Derngate and Stuart Branch of headline sponsors Weetabix before guests enjoyed a three-course meal designed by Portfolio Events.
Befitting a celebration of the excellence of the county’s food and drink sector, the menu included a wealth of Northamptonshire ingredients, including Green Kitchen Preserves Tomato and Chilli Chutney, Whittlebury Bakery white sourdough crisp, Hamm Tun Fine Foods and the Northampton Cheese Company’s cheese, The Food Library’s Spiced Rhubarb Chutney and Mee Farmers’ Blueberry and Lavender Jam.
The main course was a Roast Rib of Booker’s Black Gate Signature Beef.
The winners received their trophies from special guest presenter and journalist Helen Fospero, best known for her presenting role on shows such as GMTV, Daybreak and Lorraine, who for the second year was Master of Ceremonies.
Restaurant Ember, Wellingborough, one of four Gold Award winners of the Booker Dining Venue of the Year was praised by judges for its fun and creative delicious BBQ Tapas menu. Owner and head chef James Peck said: “It means so much to have been recognised for this award having only been open for three months. We are very humbled and excited for the future.”
To compound the restaurant’s success, Restaurant Ember chef Hannah Dunne took one of the two Gold Awards in the Booker Young Chef of the Year.
The awards are supported and sponsored by major food and drinks businesses based in the county including headline sponsor Weetabix. Stuart Branch, chief people and digital officer for Weetabix, said: “Weetabix sustainability is in our DNA and so we are particularly proud to spearhead the Weetabix Sustainability Award category – now in its third year – because it is an area that is so important to our communities and us 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 Gold, Silver and Bronze winners in each category receive the recognition they deserve as well as mentoring and guidance.
“This year is particularly exciting as we celebrate our Weetabix Growers’ Group – farmers who provide the wheat that our Weetabix Original is made from. This is a new category and I am very proud that we are able to shine a light on those farmers who are doing a brilliant job to improve our countryside environment.”
A surprise Outstanding Contribution to Food and Drink in Northamptonshire award went to Colin Richardson for his work in taking on iconic venues and changing them to be both award winning and popular with the public.
MEET THE WINNERS
Artisan Local Drink of the Year
GOLD – Blue Aurora, English Blueberry Ice Wine
GOLD – Stonyfield English Quality Sparkling Wine, Rosé
GOLD – Lactodorum Towcester Gin, Wharf Distillery
SILVER – Heidrun Session NEIPA, Three Hills Brewing
SILVER – Fresh Oat Drink, Wild and Furrow
BRONZE – Solstice Malt Whisky, Wharf Distillery
Artisan Local Product of the Year (sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed)
GOLD – Naked Dairy Gelato, Rocky’s Gelato
SILVER – Northamptonshire Blue, Hamm Tun Fine Foods
SILVER – Blueberry & Lavender Jam, Mee Farmers
SILVER – White Sourdough, Whittlebury Bakery
BRONZE – Garlic & Fennel Salami, Northampton Charcuterie Company
BRONZE – Tomato & Chilli Chutney, Green Kitchen Preserves
BRONZE – Elderflower Sorbet, Your Cool
Artisan Local Vegetarian / Vegan Product of the Year (sponsored by Daily Bread)
GOLD – Oinkin’ Pattie from The Curious Vegan Co.
SILVER – Spiced Rhubarb Chutney from The Food Library
SILVER – Tongue Taster from Northampton Cheese Company
BRONZE – Cucumber & Dill Sauerkraut from Mille Pickles
BRONZE – Almond and Coconut Granola from Salma Shah
BRONZE – Vegan Blue Raspberry Bottles from Sweet Lounge
Booker Dining Venue of the Year (sponsored by Booker)
GOLD – Electric Pavillion, Northampton
GOLD – Hibiscus Fine Dining, Northampton
GOLD – Restaurant Ember, Wellingborough
GOLD – The Snooty Fox, Lowick
SILVER – The Butchers Arms, Greens Norton
SILVER – The Folly Inn, Towcester
SILVER – Tollemache Arms, Harrington
BRONZE – Tap & Kitchen, Oundle
BRONZE – The Plough Inn, Shutlanger
BRONZE – The Rose & Crown, Yardley Hastings
Booker Young Chef of the Year (sponsored by Booker)
GOLD – Hannah Dunne, Restaurant Ember
GOLD – Shawn Monk, The Falcon Inn, Fotheringhay
SILVER – Nicole Wicks, Rushton Hall
BRONZE – David Smith, The Palmichael
BRONZE – Matthew Heritage, The Falcon Inn, Fotheringhay
Community Café of the Year (Supported by The Good Loaf)
GOLD – Saints Coffee, Northampton
SILVER – Café 1850, Northampton
BRONZE – Aspen Café, Bosworth Garden Centre
BRONZE – Café Track, Northampton
BRONZE – Johnny’s Happy Place, Kettering
BRONZE – The Place to Bee, Kingsthorpe
Farming Environment Award (sponsored by Weetabix Growers Group)
GOLD – Phillip Johnson & Daughters, Rectory Farm
SILVER – J.A Knight & Son
BRONZE – Bartlow Estate
FINALIST – Bridge House Farm
FINALIST – J.A Atkinson & Son
FINALIST – Stetchworth Estate Farm
F&B Achiever of the Year (sponsored by Howes Percival LLP)
GOLD – Andy Collins – Whittlebury Bakery pictured below
SILVER – Aldo Gallone – E. Gallone Ltd
SILVER – Joe Buckley – Tollemache Arms
BRONZE – Suzy Keeping & Chris D’alessio – KDR Events
Food and Drink College Student of the Year
GOLD – Bilal Ismail – Northampton College
GOLD – Tia ‘Echo’ Morris – Northampton College
SILVER – Elisabeth Knott – Moulton College
BRONZE – Luke Wolstencroft – Tresham College
BRONZE – Will McGowan – Tresham College
Healthy Food and Wellbeing Award (sponsored by Delapré Abbey)
Healthy Food & Wellbeing- Producers
GOLD – Cucumber & Dill Sauerkraut – Millie Pickles pictured below
SILVER – Chocolate flavour Super Shake – Nasty Vegan
SILVER – Organic Wheatgrass Juice – Britt’s Superfoods
BRONZE – Kebab-ish – Bite me Spices
BRONZE – Tomato and Red Pepper Relish – Friars Farm
Healthy Food and Wellbeing award, Workplace
GOLD – Mercedes AMG HPP
SILVER – Silverstone Circuits Ltd
SILVER – Sol Havens CIC
BRONZE – Northampton General Hospital
Local Food Hero of the Year (sponsored by Moulton College)
GOLD – Towcester Community Larder pictured below
SILVER – The Green Patch
BRONZE – Community Health works UK CIC
BRONZE – Elliotts’ Rectory Farm
BRONZE – Foodkind CIC
BRONZE – Jamie’s Quality Butchers
One To Watch (sponsored by Whitworth Bros. Ltd Flour Millers)
GOLD – The Flavour Trailer
SILVER – Northampton Cheese Company
BRONZE – Jute Coffee
BRONZE – Nakasero
BRONZE – Nasty Vegan
Weetabix Sustainability Award (sponsored by Weetabix)
GOLD – Ganders Goat
SILVER – Jute Coffee Limited
SILVER – West Lodge Farm Park
BRONZE – Foodkind CIC
BRONZE – The Roastery
Whitco Chef of the Year (sponsored by Whitco)
GOLD – Bart Polinski, Hibiscus Fine Dining pictured below
SILVER – Arturs Dzerins, Electric Pavilion
BRONZE – Ben Drury, The Red Lion, Cranford
BRONZE – Michael O’Gorman, University of Northampton, Waterside Campus
World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year (sponsored by British Pepper & Spice)
GOLD – Alacati Grill, Daventry pictured below
GOLD – Mewar Haveli, Northampton
SILVER – June Plum, Wellingborough
BRONZE – Pjayz Kitchen, Northampton
Outstanding Contribution to Food and Drink in Northamptonshire Award (sponsored by All Things Business)
Winner – Colin Richardson
