Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2009 Results

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• Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2009 Results

Best Local Product

Winner - Potted Beef from Sauls of Spratton (Tel. 01604 847214)
Runner-up - Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil by Farrington Oils (Tel. 01933 622809)

Best Drink

Winner - Fire-Bellied Toad Beer from Frog Island Brewery (Tel. 01604 587772)
Runner-up - Northamptonshire Bitter from Hoggleys Brewery (Tel. 01604 831762)

Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year

Winner - The White Swan, Harringworth (Tel. 01572 747543)
Runner-up - The Saracen’s Head, Little Brington (Tel. 01604 770640)

Restaurant of the Year

Winner - The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant, Paulerspury (Tel. 01327 811267)
Runner-up - Oundle Mill, Oundle (Tel. 01832 272621)

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

Yvette James 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 during the first year of the awards. Kate Dent, Head of Tourism at 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”.

“Entering the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards was the best marketing move we ever made! We’ve picked up awards nationally and internationally but winning the title of ‘Best Local Product’ means more to us than any of those because it represents the local stamp of approval that’s so important to a family firm like ours.” said Chris Saul of Sauls of Spratton, whose Potted Beef was named Best Local Product. “Apart from that, the coverage we’ve received has meant that more people have come to know about us – and business is significantly up as a result. I can’t thank Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd enough for what they’re doing in finally giving those of us in the food and drink industry here in the county the chance to show off how good we really are!”

For information about the 2010/11 awards, please contact rachel@rachelmallows.com on 01933 664437