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ARCHIVE : LOCAL FOOD HERO NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Five food heroes who champion local produce will be battling it out for a prestigious award later this month.

Derbyshire County Council has announced its shortlist for the `local food hero’ category of the Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards, which are held on Thursday 25 September.
This is the seventh year the county council has held the Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards and the shortlists in the other categories were announced last month.
The awards, which are being held at Thornbridge Hall, Ashford-in-the-Water, celebrate locally produced top quality food and drink and reward the county’s finest producers and businesses.

The local food hero award is being run for the second time this year and the shortlist is:

• Nick Buckingham – Buckinghams, Chesterfield
• Sam Jackson – Fresh Basil, Belper
• Andre Birkett – Chatsworth Farm Shop
• Amanda Osborn – Hearthstone Farm, Riber
• Scott Sneddon – Scotts Garden, Riber.

The awards are judged by an independent panel of food specialists who have been secretly visiting each of the shortlisted businesses before deciding on the winners.
Venues are judged on a number of criteria including the quality of food and drink, customer service, use of county produce and acknowledgement of it on its menus.
The judges for each category are:

• Restaurant – Andrew Ford – Midlands AA inspector
• Bistro – Geraldine Williams – quality assurance assessor for Visit Britain
• Pub – Tim Childs – chef and former Derbyshire County Council cookery teacher
• Coffee House – Amber Locke – food editor
• International Restaurant – Amber Locke – food editor
• Restaurant in an Attraction – Peter Wass – former AA inspector, quality assessor for Visit Britain
• Local Food Hero – Chef Brian Turner and Derbyshire County Council.

Celebrity Chef Brian Turner will present the awards with county council Chairperson Councillor Joyce Sanders, and East Midlands Today presenter Dominic Heale will host the ceremony.

Councillor Carlile said: “The local food hero is a relatively new category and it will be a very difficult category to judge, as all the people on the list are passionate about what they do, champion the use of local produce and set themselves very high standards.
“Competition in the other categories has been just as fierce, and all would prove worthy winners of a Derbyshire Food and Drink Award.”

Councillor Carlile added: “Our awards are a good way of recognising all the hard work of food and drink businesses across the county and thanking them for promoting the use of high quality, locally sourced produce and providing excellent service across the board.”
Businesses and individuals will find out at the ceremony on 25th September whether or not they have won an award.

The other categories and shortlisted venues are:

Restaurant of the Year
East Lodge Hotel and Restaurant, Rowsley
The Dining Room, Ashbourne
Buckingham’s, Chesterfield
Fischers at Baslow Hall
The Peacock at Rowsley
The Maynard, Grindleford

Bistro of the Year
The Butlers Pantry, Derby
The Strand, Matlock
Old Hall Hotel, Buxton
Red Lion Pub and Bistro, Ashover

Pub of the Year
The Druid Inn, Birchover
Saracens Head, Ashbourne
Chequers Inn, Froggatt Edge
Royal Oak, Buxton
Bluebell Inn, Ashbourne
Holly Bush, Church Broughton

Tea Room/Coffee House of the Year
Gallery Café, Ashbourne
Fresh Basil, Belper
Chatsworth Farm Shop and Restaurant
No. 6 The Square, Buxton
The Bloeman Coffee Shop, Allestree
Woodlands Tea Room, Charlesworth

Restaurant within an Attraction
Kedleston Hall
Cavendish Rooms, Chatsworth
Bournes Restaurant, Denby
The Great Kitchen, Hardwick Hall

Best International Restaurant
Ayotaya Thai Restaurant, Dronfield
La Romana, Moorfield
Le Mistral, Wirksworth
Carriages Restaurant and Bar, Buxton

The awards are being sponsored by Derbyshire Life magazine, with other sponsors being the Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership (DDEP), the Alliance SSP and Royal Crown Derby.

If you’re a Derbyshire business and would like to be involved in next year’s Awards, please contact Stephanie Walsh at Derbyshire County Council on 01629 585964 or by e-mail on stephanie.walsh@derbyshire.gov.uk  

Press enquiries only to Mandy Cann on 01629 585032.

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[Archive : Awards Shortlist 2007]
[Archive : Awards Winners 2007]
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[Archive : Shortlist for 2008]
[Archive : Awards Winners 2008]
[Archive : Awards Finalists 2009]