After much anticipation and a great deal of excitement, the winners of the ten categories in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2011/12 are finally celebrating being named the best of the county’s best!
The competition, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership (NEP), is now in its third 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 1st Sept) staged in the magnificent setting of Holdenby House.
The winners and runners-up are:
Young Chef of the Year:
Winner: Leighanne Harrison
Runner-up: Paige Sanderson
Also Nominated:
- Mary Palacek (Rushden),
- Adam Dunhill (Northampton)
Local Food Hero:
Winner: Collyweston Community Shop
Runner-up: Nick Riseley of Creamers Coffee House, Raunds
Also Nominated:
- Laura Hughes-Wasilewski of Cakerama, Woodford Halse
- Nick Riseley of Creamers Coffee House, Raunds
- Rob Walker of The Old Forge, Cranford
Community Pub of the Year – Town:
Winner (only): The Malt Shovel Tavern, Northampton
Also nominated:
- The Picturedrome, Northampton
- The Swan & Helmet, Northampton
Community Pub of the Year – Rural:
Winner (only): The Sun Inn, Hardingstone
Also Nominated:
- The Compass Inn, Milton Malsor
- The George at Tiffield, Tiffield
- The Saracens Head, Little Brington
Curry Chef of the Year:
Winner: Durga Sapkota of Mem-Saab Ltd, Northampton
Runner-up: Bodrul Islam of Saffron, Northampton
Also Nominated:
- Baldev Singh - Mem Saab Ltd, Northampton
- Ram Enus - MAHA-RAJ-A, Northampton
Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year:
Winner: Rose & Crown, Yardley Hastings
Runner-up: The Saracen’s Head, Little Brington
Also Nominated:
- The Red Lion Wine Pub, Sibbertoft
- The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth
- The White Swan, Harringworth
- Tollemache Arms, Harrington
Restaurant of the Year:
Winner: Beckworth Emporium, Mears Ashby
Runner-up: The Seafood Café, Northampton
Also Nominated:
- Chapel Bar & Dining Room, Oundle
- The Albero, Northampton
- The Terrace at Highgate House, Creaton
Best Local Product:
Winner: Farrington’s Balsamic Dressing, Farrington Oils Ltd
Runner up: Diamond Pork Pie, Sauls of Spratton Ltd
Also Nominated:
- Brixworth Pate - Brixworth Foods
- Raspberry Cream Cake - Meadow Cottage Cakes, Newnham
- Vanilla Ice Cream - E. Gallone Ltd, Northampton
Best Local Drink:
Winner : Fleur Fields Rosé, Fleur Fields Ltd
Runner up: Medium Apple Juice, The Village Orchard
Also Nominated:
- Croak & Stagger - Frog Island Brewery, Northampton
- Guilsborough Gold - Nobbys Brewery, Guilsborough
- Steeplechase Sparkling Wine - Welland Valley Vineyard, Marston Trussell
Booker Chef of the Year:
Winner: Lee Gaskins of The Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House, Creaton
Runner-up: Hao Dang of Dang’s Vietnamese Restaurant, Northampton
Also Nominated:
- Scott Grimsley - The Old Red Lion, Kislingbury
- Will Mountain - The Saracens Head, Little Brington
‘Young Chef of the Year’, Leighanne Harrison, a former Northampton College student who is now working at The Seafood Café in Northampton, was stunned by the announcement of her victory, “I couldn’t believe it when my name was announced and my legs turned to jelly when I got up to collect my trophy! I’ve won two bronze medals and a silver in the UK World Skills competition for my silver service but this is my first award for my cooking – and it’s amazing!”
Meanwhile for Andrew Pye of The Sun Inn, Hardingstone, winning the title of ‘Community Pub of the Year – Rural’ also came as a wonderful surprise, “I’m absolutely delighted! I’ve got twenty five young people in my team and this is fantastic recognition for them and their efforts in supporting the community. This really is the greatest accolade and we certainly intend to have a big party to celebrate!”
And for Duncan Farrington of Farrington Oils Ltd in Hargrave whose Balsamic Dressing won the ‘Best Local Product’ title, the award clearly meant everything, ”This is the third year we’ve entered and so to take the title at last is wonderful, especially with a product which we only launched earlier this summer. Although we sell nationally and internationally, our greatest following is here in Northamptonshire and so to receive this local award from those wonderful supporters is great and we’d like to say thank you to them!”
The trophies – a beautifully handcrafted plaque created by Northampton ceramicist Nita Nathwani - were presented by a selection of this year’s Award judges, including Holdenby House owner James Lowther, award-winning broadcaster, editor and food writer William Sitwell and Northampton-born Tom Whitaker, who was runner-up in this year’s BBC Masterchef. Tom said he was very pleased to be playing his part in supporting his county of birth, “It’s been great to come back home and to be involved in what is such a fantastic competition. I’m a real supporter of buying British and indeed local produce and it’s clear Northamptonshire‘s great venues and chefs share my thinking. The county should feel very proud!”
Guests were welcomed to the event by the competition’s co-ordinator, Rachel Mallows of The Mallows Company and NEP’s Chief Executive, Rob Purdie. Rob spoke afterwards of his delight that the competition is making such an impact, “As the organisation behind these Awards it was very exciting to see the responses of the winners and runners up and what success in this competition so clearly means to them. The awards are about encouraging all those in the sector, from grass roots level upwards, to be as good as they can be and across all categories we’re already seeing the difference that is making. We’re delighted that our efforts are reaping such rewards for so many.”
Former Northampton College student and Executive Chef at Gary Rhodes’ Michelin-starred restaurant Rhodes Twenty Four, Adam Gray, prepared a mouth-watering Northamptonshire menu for the 250 entrants, judges, sponsors, media partners and supporters who attended. Guests were treated to a starter of cured salmon served with a Northamptonshire honey-pickled cucumber salad, followed by a trio of Northamptonshire lamb and a pudding of iced lemon chiboust served with Northamptonshire blackberries. Among them was Steven Saunders, the creator of Ready Steady Cook and a Fellow of The Master Chefs of Great Britain, who had been a ‘mystery shopper’ for the competition. “I am really impressed by the diversity and enthusiasm of the restaurants and pubs that I visited,” he said. “It was a delight to see the owners, chefs and managers immensely enjoying their work and really pushing the standards. These awards are an inspiration to the hospitality trade and it was a real pleasure to be part of them. Congratulations to all the finalists.”
Meanwhile, if you are an organisation, business or individual interested in taking part in, or supporting, next year’s Awards, please contact Rachel at The Mallows Company on 01933 664437.
