THE team behind the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards is delighted to announce that the competition has been launched for 2015 for what is expected to be its ‘magnificent seventh’ year!
The Awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP), are aimed at celebrating all that is great about local food and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues and rewarding those who work so hard within the culinary sector.
Thanks to ongoing support from NEP, its other sponsors and partners, including headline sponsor Carlsberg UK, Booker, British P
THE team behind the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards is delighted to announce that the competition has been launched for 2015 for what is expected to be its ‘magnificent seventh’ year!
The Awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP), are aimed at celebrating all that is great about local food and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues and rewarding those who work so hard within the culinary sector.
Thanks to ongoing support from NEP, its other sponsors and partners, including headline sponsor Carlsberg UK, Booker, British Pepper & Spice, Heygates Flour and Animal Feed, Moulton College, Northamptonshire County Council, Pidy UK, Weetabix, Whitco and Whitworth Bros Ltd and the addition of two new sponsors – the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at Northamptonshire Police and TMI Foods – the competition has yet again expanded to an impressive 18 categories – those being:
Artisan Local Savoury Product of the Year – sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed with BBC Radio Northampton
Artisan Local Sweet Product of the Year – sponsored by Moulton College with BBC Radio Northampton
Artisan Local Drink of the Year – with BBC Radio Northampton
New Local Product of the Year – sponsored by Whitworth Bros. Ltd with BBC Radio Northampton
New Local Drink of the Year – with BBC Radio Northampton
Booker Food Pub of the Year – sponsored by Booker with Great Food Club
Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by Whitco with Business Times
Spice Restaurant of the Year – sponsored by British Pepper & Spice
Independent Café / Tea Room of the Year – sponsored by Pidy UK with Northampton Life
Chef of the Year – sponsored by TMI Foods and Cordant People with Northants Herald & Post
Young Chef of the Year – sponsored by Booker with Northants Herald & Post
Best Bar None – Town Pub of the Year – sponsored by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at Northamptonshire Police with the
Chronicle & Echo and Northamptonshire Telegraph
Best Bar None – Rural Pub of the Year – sponsored by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at Northamptonshire Police with the
Chronicle & Echo and Northamptonshire Telegraph
Best Bar None – Late Night Venue of the Year – sponsored by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner at Northamptonshire Police with the Chronicle & Echo and Northamptonshire Telegraph
Local Food Hero of the Year – sponsored by Weetabix with Northamptonshire CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) and with Aspire Magazine
Healthy Eating Workplace of the Year – Health and Education – sponsored by Northamptonshire County Council
Healthy Eating Workplace of the Year – Private Sector – sponsored by Northamptonshire County Council
F&B Achiever of the Year
The details of the new-look competition were revealed at the launch in the new £1.2m Quality and Innovation Building of Whitworth Bros. Ltd flour millers’ Wellingborough headquarters on 3 March by NEP’s Chairman John Markham OBE. Speaking before an audience made up of reigning champions, sponsors, judges and competition partners, he explained the importance of the awards in recognising the important role that the sector plays in the county: “It has long been recognised that Northamptonshire’s economy benefits hugely from the food and drink sector, currently contributing £1.5 billion each year. Moulton College’s recent announcement of a new £5m Food & Drink Technology Academy is testament to the importance of continuing to provide local people with the right skills to support the industry.
“The long-running Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the talented individuals from a broad range of large and small businesses and their outstanding achievements year after year,” he added.
Meanwhile Roger Butler, Managing Director of Whitworth Bros Ltd, gave an insight into why the company was keen to play its part in the competition again: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring the awards again this year as it is a great way to for us to raise our profile and to show our support for the sector here in the county.
“We are also very proud of this fabulous new facility and hosting the launch has given us the opportunity to show it off to some of the other key local food businesses and demonstrate what a progressive and innovative company we are,” he added.
Among those also present was Susie Keeping from Brasserie 23 at The Kings Head, Spratton which took the Restaurant of the Year title in the 2014/15 Awards. Susie revealed what the venue’s success had meant to them: “Winning the title was a massive achievement for us, having only been open for just over a year, and it really boosted staff morale hugely,” explained Susie.
“Perhaps more importantly, it gave us some great publicity further afield and in turn increased our bookings as we have had so many people come in who didn’t even know we were there!” she enthused.
Finally, the Awards’ Director, Rachel Mallows of The Mallows Company, thanked those who have enabled the competition to become the success it has over the last six years and says that can only help to further the excellence of the sector: “These awards were established to help drive the growth within food and drink in the county and we’ve seen the competition achieve just that through tourism spend, business development and job creation.
“With the support of our fabulous brands in Northamptonshire, it is no wonder that the sector continues to thrive and we’re confident that this will indeed be another magnificent year!”
For more details on all 18 categories in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2015/16, including downloading entry forms or how to nominate in the Independent Café / Tea Room’, ‘Local Food Hero, Healthy Eating Workplace and F&B Achiever of the Year categories, please visit the Awards’ website at www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk or contact Rachel Mallows on 01933 664437 or email You can also follow the Awards on twitter at @foodawardsHQ or on Facebook at facebook.com/foodawards