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  Local Produce

  Browse this Local Produce Directory and see what wonderful food and drink is available from our specialist local producer's here in Northamptonshire.
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  Eating Out

  Eat out in Northamptonshire, and you can travel the world. With so much choice, you're sure to find your favorite cuisine.
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  Pride of Northampton

  The Pride of Northampton will be a ten-week public art exhibition organised by Northampton Borough Council

Everyone’s a winner in food and drink awards

For a man with two Michelin Stars, Marcus Wareing was very impressed with the Food and Drink on offer in Northamptonshire. Marcus was in the county recently to present the awards in the “Restaurant of the Year” and the “Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year” at the Celebration of Northamptonshire dinner. “I’m really very impressed with what’s being achieved here in Northamptonshire. I’ve always been keen on sourcing local and supporting local and these awards are a great way of promoting what’s on offer here. In fact, I’m thinking I should take the idea back to my home county of Lancashire to get them to do the same!”

Being in the awards seems to have made a big difference to the businesses concerned, with reports of trade and enquiries increasing following the revelation of the shortlists.

Winners of the Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year Adam and Gina Longden collecting their trophy from Marcus Wareing.

Yvette Jones of The Vine House collecting the trophy from Marcus Wareing for the Restaurant of the Year.

“Business has definitely improved since the awards were announced” said Mandy Littler of Frog Island Brewery whose Fire-Bellied Toad Beer won the Best Drink category. She continued, “It’s very difficult to produce a good beer using just a single hop but we’ve proved that it can be done and we’re delighted to receive this award”.

The awards are a recognition of the hard work of restaurateurs, publicans and food and drink producers. Gina Longden of The White Swan, Harringworth, winner of the Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year said, “Whether we’ve got two people or fifty-two people in the pub, we’d like to think we give them the service they deserve and perhaps that’s what the judges recognised when they came to visit - we’re just delighted!”

Almost 100 entries were made in the four categories in 2009, the first year of the awards. Kate Dent, Head of Tourism from Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited, said “This is such an exciting project. We extend our huge congratulations to all the finalists. All the businesses involved have impressed us with the excellent high standards”.

“This really means the world to us. To be recognised in this way by our own county is just fabulous”, said Chris Saul of Sauls of Spratton, whose Potted Beef was named Best Local Product.

The trophy winners were: