After much anticipation and a great deal of excitement, the 21 winners in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2015/16 are finally celebrating being named the best of the county’s best!

 

The competition, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP), is now in its seventh year and is again aimed at celebrating all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the county’s dining venues and rewarding those who work so hard within the culinary sector.

 

The results were announced at a glittering Awards Dinner (Thurs 15th October) staged at Royal & Derngate in Northampton and watched by the evening’s special guest, former Celebrity Masterchef finalist, journalist and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli. Those were (in presentation order):

 

Artisan Local Savoury Product of the Year

(Sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed)

 

Winner: Pork, Apple and Black Pudding Scotch Egg – Elliotts Kitchen Fine Foods, Towcester

Runner-up: Pastrami – Ashley Farm, Shop, Ashley

 

Artisan Local Sweet Product of the Year

(sponsored by Moulton College)

 

Winner: Rich Fruit Cake – Elliotts Kitchen Fine Foods, Towcester

Runners-up: Cornish Sea Salted Caramels – Belflair Chocolates, Brackley

Fruitilicious Granola with Nuts and Seeds – Most Marvellous Baking, Northampton

 

New Local Product of the Year

(sponsored by Whitworth Bros. Ltd)

 

Winner: Skyver Goat Cheese – NeneView Dairy, Stanwick

Runner-up: Fruitilicious Granola with Nuts and Seeds – Most Marvellous Baking, Northampton

 

Artisan Local Drink of the Year

 

Winner: Becket’s Ale – Phipps NBC, Northampton

Runner-up: Booze Hound – Gun Dog Ales, Woodford Halse

 

New Local Drink of the Year

 

Winner: Plum Cider – Saxby’s Cider, Irchester

Runner-up: Bell Ringer – Towcester Mill Brewery, Towcester

 

Healthy Eating Workplace of the Year – Sport, Health & Education

(sponsored by Northamptonshire County Council)

 

Winner: Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, Brixworth

Runner-up: St Andrews Healthcare, Northampton

 

Healthy Eating Workplace of the Year – Private Sector

(sponsored by Northamptonshire County Council)

 

Winner: Travis Perkins, Northampton

Runner-up: Weatherbys, Wellingborough

 

Chef of the Year

(sponsored by TMI Foods and Cordant People)

 

Winner: Richard Walker of Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, Fawsley

Runner-up: David Simms of The Talbot Hotel, Oundle

 

Local Food Hero of the Year

(sponsored by Weetabix)

 

Winner: The Good Loaf, Northampton

Runners-up: Crispin Slee, Towcester Food Festival

Elsie’s Pay As You Feel Café, Northampton

 

F&B Achiever of the Year

 

Winner: Duncan Farrington of Farrington Oils, Hargrave

Runner-up: Tom Warner and Sion Edwards of Warner Edwards, Harrington

 

Young Chef of the Year

(sponsored by Booker)

 

Winner: Tamsin Hamilton-Testrote from Kettering Park Hotel, Kettering

Runner-up: Perry Langley from Nuovo, Northampton

 

Best Bar None – Rural Pub of the Year

(sponsored by the Office of Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner)

 

Winner: The Old Kings Head, Long Buckby

 

Best Bar None – Rural Pub of the Year Public Vote

(sponsored by the Office of Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner)

Winner: The Sun Inn, Kislingbury

 

Best Bar None – Town Pub of the Year

(sponsored by the Office of Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner)

 

Winner: The Artizan, Northampton

 

Best Bar None – Town Pub of the Year Public Vote

(sponsored by the Office of Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner)

 

Winner: The Swan and Helmet, Northampton

 

Best Bar None – Late Night Venue of the Year

(sponsored by the Office of Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner)

 

Winner: Bootleggers, Northampton

 

Best Bar None – Late Night Venue of the Year Public Vote

(sponsored by the Office of Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner)

 

Winner: Aspers Casino, Northampton

 

Restaurant of the Year

(sponsored by Whitco)

 

Winner: Tap and Kitchen, Oundle

Runner-up: Sophia’s Restaurant, Northampton

 

Independent Café / Tea Room of the Year

(sponsored by Pidy UK)

 

Winner: Evergreen Art Café, Daventry

Runner-up: The Apothocoffee Shop, Earls Barton

 

Booker Food Pub of the Year

(sponsored by Booker)

 

Winner: The Rose and Crown, Yardley Hastings

Runner-up: The Plough @ Shutlanger, Shutlanger

 

Spice Restaurant of the Year

(sponsored by British Pepper & Spice)

 

Winner: Dhan Shiri, Brackley

Runner-up: Mem-Saab, Northampton

 

The winners were each presented with a trophy – a framed miniature chef’s apron created by Northampton apron makers Griff’s – by Hardeep and the categories’ respective sponsors.

 

Welcoming guests to the event were the Awards’ Director, Rachel Mallows of The Mallows Company, and Bruce Ray, Corporate Affairs Director at Carlsberg UK, who spoke about the company’s increasing pride at being part of the growth and recognition of the sector in its ‘home’ county. He also pledged the company’s continuing financial support for next year, which was echoed by each of the other 13 sponsors.

 

Guests made up of finalists, judges, sponsors, media partners and supporters then enjoyed a sumptuous three course meal designed and created by chef patron of Towcester’s La Strada Nuova, Lee Scott, with help from a team of culinary students from Northampton College who switched their regular classes for the experience of being part of the prestigious event.

 

The menu included a starter of local trout with beetroot textures using beetroot chutney from Limes Farm at Farthinghoe or a local goat cheese crostini, the goat cheese coming from triple finalists NeneView Dairy at Stanwick, a main course of pork provided by Booker and using apples from New Creation Farm at Nether Heyford and honey from Beeline Apiculture at Bozeat, while the pudding was a pannacotta made with local white chocolate from Belflair Chocolates in Brackley and honeyed damson preserve from Nature’s Fayre in Thrapston.

 

Among those celebrating at the end of the evening were Amanda and Phil Saxby from Saxby’s Cider in Irchester whose Plum Cider took the ‘New Drink of the Year’ title. As Phil explained, he believes the accolade will be a real boost to business; “Of course we think it is a great drink but it’s super that the judges thought so too and I’m sure this success can only help us when we approach potential stockists.

 

“Aside from winning it was a really fabulous event and wonderful to see the county’s thriving food and drink businesses coming together to celebrate on such a special night for the sector!” he added.

 

To watch the videos of the Chef and Young Chef of the Year cook-offs and the bake-off in the Independent Café / Tea Room of the Year category, please click here. You can also follow the Awards on twitter at @foodawardsHQ or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/foodawards

 

If you are an organisation, business or individual interested in taking part in, or sponsoring, next year’s Awards, please contact Rachel at The Mallows Company on 01933 664437.