Just over two months in to this year’s competition and the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards for 2011/12 are already hotting up! The competition, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP), was launched for the third year running in February and is again aimed at celebrating all that is great about the county’s produce and drink, to recognise excellence within its dining venues and to reward those who work so hard within the culinary sector.
Thanks to their increasingly prestigious profile, the Awards have attracted a further new sponsor this year in the form of Whitco, the specialist catering equipment suppliers based in Thrapston. Managing Director Jeff Whitaker explained why the company felt it important to get involved with the competition. “Whitco may be a national firm but it has Northamptonshire very much at its heart. So, given that the Awards offer rightful reward to those in the county striving to be the best – a principle which drives the way we do things here at Whitco – it really is the perfect partnership!”
There are ten categories in this year’s Awards – those being:
‘Best Local Product’
‘Best Local Drink’
‘Restaurant of the Year’ – sponsored by Whitco with Business Times
‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’ – sponsored by Whitco
‘Community Pub of the Year – Town’ – sponsored by Carlsberg UK with Chronicle & Echo and Evening Telegraph
‘Community Pub of the Year – Rural’ – sponsored by Carlsberg UK with Chronicle & Echo and Evening Telegraph
‘Curry Chef of the Year’ – sponsored by British Pepper & Spice and Northampton College with WOW Magazine
‘Local Food Hero of the Year’ - sponsored by CPRE Northants with Aspire Magazine
‘Booker Chef of the Year’ – sponsored by Booker
‘Young Chef of the Year’ – sponsored by Booker
With the closing dates for the ‘Community Pub’ and ‘Curry Chef’ categories already passed, the competition is shaping up to be the biggest yet. Said the competition’s co-ordinator, Rachel Mallows of The Mallows Company, “We are delighted to say that, compared with this time last year, we’ve already received a record number of nominations and entries so it has all the makings of an exciting battle across the wide range of Awards! We know from experience that businesses really value the prestige that competition glory brings and that’s also been borne out by the support of our new sponsors - Booker and Whitco - who clearly want to associate themselves with that success. So I want to encourage all those within the sector, and the county’s food lovers who are keen to support the ‘buy local’ ethic, to log on to www.letyourselfgrow.com/foodanddrinkawards and take part.”
This month presents the last opportunity to enter the four further categories of ‘Booker Chef of the Year’ (entries in by 3rd May) ‘Young Chef of the Year’ (9th May), ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’ (16th May) and the category proudly sponsored by Business Times, ‘Restaurant of the Year’ (16th May). Those will be followed in June by the closing dates of the ‘Best Local Product’, ‘Best Local Drink’ and ‘Local Food Hero’ categories.
Head of Tourism at NEL, Kate Dent, was equally delighted with the interest already being shown. “The success of these Awards only goes to back up the findings of a recent CPRE report which highlights the importance of local produce and the benefits the associated network of suppliers, retailers and markets brings to local communities. Now in its third year, the competition is playing a valuable role in supporting that sector which is currently worth £150m to the local economy.”
To keep up to date with the latest stages of the competition, including downloading entry or nomination forms, following the judges as they make their decisions or to vote for a shortlisted venue later in the summer, visit the Awards’ website - www.letyourselfgrow.com/foodanddrinkawards The winners and runners up in each of the categories will be announced at the Awards Dinner at Holdenby House in September.
