Michel Roux OBE celebrates Northamptonshire’s finest food and drink!
After much anticipation and a great deal of excitement, the winners in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2016/17 were celebrating being named the best of the county’s best.
The competition, now in its eighth year, 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 in November staged at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in Northampton and attended by the evening’s special guest, Michel Roux OBE (Snr). Joint winners of the F&B Achiever of the Year title was awarded to Angus and Kirsty Clarke of Waterloo Cottage Farm, Great Oxendon, and the Jeyes Family of The Apothocoffee Shop, Earls Barton. Waterloo Cottage Farm also won Artisan Local Savoury Product of the Year (Sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed) for their Marinated Hogget Cannon.
The title of Restaurant of the Year (sponsored by Whitco Catering and Bakery Equipment Ltd) went to The Palmichael in Burton Latimer, with the runner up, Olive, from Corby.
The Booker Young Chef of the Year (sponsored by Booker) was awarded to Sebastian McLean from Rushton Hall, Rushton.
The evening also shone a spotlight on Eat Out Eat Well, a national scheme run here in the county by Environmental Health Northamptonshire which rewards caterers and eateries who make it easier for their customers to make healthy choices, and saw the top scoring Gold venues from five of the seven borough and district councils being celebrated for their achievement. They were:
Kafe Bloc in Kettering Manvell Farm Tea Room in Walgrave Millie’s Café in Wellingborough Mrs B’s in Rushden Reg’s Café in Kings Sutton
The winners of all the categories were presented with a trophy – a specially commissioned bone china jug designed by Newnham-based Susan Rose China - by Michel and the categories’ respective sponsors.
Welcoming guests to the event were the Awards’ Director, Rachel Mallows of The Mallows Company, Bruce Ray, VP Global Government Relations and UK Corporate Affairs at Carlsberg, and Stephen Catchpole who is the Chief Executive of SEMLEP (South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership).
Guests made up of finalists, judges, sponsors, media partners and supporters, including Awards Patrons William Sitwell and Sophie Grigson, then enjoyed a sumptuous three course meal designed and created by Lee Scott and assisted by a team of culinary students from Northampton College who forwent their regular classes to be part of the prestigious event.
For the full results of this year’s competition, including watching the videos of the Chef and Booker Young Chef of the Year cook-offs and the bake-off in the Independent Café / Tea Room of the Year category, please visit www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk
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 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
|