3 minute read
FOOD AWARDS
Vegan patties, ice wine and damned good ice cream… foodies celebrate everything that’s great about Northamptonshire produce as the first winners in this year’s Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards are announced.
The first three winners in this year’s Weetabix Northamptonshire food & Drink Awards are celebrating after receiving their accolades at a mini-ceremony.
The winners of the Artisan Local Product, Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan and Artisan Local Drink categories have been announced ahead of the other winners in order that the finalists can capitalize on the summer boom in food festivals and other events giving opportunity for them to sell their wares.
They will join the other winners at the annual awards dinner to be held at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton on October 12. But the winners are already planning how to promote their success at the forthcoming Food and Drink Festivals across the county and country.
Gold winners, as well as receiving mentoring support, will be entered into the Guild of Fine Foods Great Taste Awards for 2023.
Oinkin’ Patties from The Curious Vegan took the Gold award in the Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan Product of the Year, sponsored by health food co-operative Daily Bread which also hosted the awards ceremony.
The Curious Vegan founder Paul Hunt said: “We are absolutely thrilled to bits to win Gold for our Oinkin’ Pattie. It’s credence to what we do. We strive to be the best and it’s really such a big team effort and I’m so proud of everyone back at the farm.
“We will keep striving to make products better, more accessible and we are now taking it to market into wholesale and into retail early next year. This award will give us the spring in our step to really push our products .”
Gold in the Artisan Local Product of the Year 2022/23, sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed, went to Naked Dairy Gelato from Rocky’s Gelato and three businesses raised a glass to their triumph in the Artisan Local Drink of the Year 2022/23, Blue Aurora English Blueberry Ice Wine from Lutton Farm, Wharf Distillery’s Lactodorum Towcester Gin and Stonyfield English Quality Sparkling Wine 2018 Rose from Stonyfield Vineyard each receiving a Gold award.
The Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards is now in its 14th year and is a celebration of all that is great about Northamptonshire produce and drink.
Radio and TV presenter Reverend Kate Bottley joined finalists in all three categories with sponsors, patrons, judges and press to announce the winners for 2022. A former Celebrity Masterchef contestant in 2017 and known to undertake the odd cookery demonstration here and there, Kate brought a sense of joy to the occasion as she made her announcements. Awards director Rachel Mallows said: “On a very warm summer’s day, we presented a superb range of finalist produce and drink from some pretty amazing businesses. To have Kate help us with this was the icing on the cake.”
Judging involved a two-stage tasting process with local and then external judges across a number of months. This year there was resounding support for the county’s producers with one second stage judge commenting that the “category products and drinks were world class; exceptional. Any county would be proud of all these products”.
The remaining categories will be announced at the annual Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards ceremony, to be held on Wednesday, 12th October 2022 at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate. For more details of this year’s competition, or for tickets, call Sophie Smith on 01933 664437 or email sophie@themallowscompany.com
Your Cool picked up an award for their Elderflower Sorbet The finalists in the Artisan Local Drink of the Year 2022/23 (above) and the Silver award winners - Wild and Furrow, Oat Drink (left)
Scan me for the full list of awards winners
> Follow the awards on Twitter and Instagram at @foodawardsHQ or on Facebook at @foodawards or LinkedIn at @weetabixnfadawards using the hashtag
