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ARCHIVE : DERBYSHIRE’S FINEST FOR FOOD AND DRINK REVEALED

The finest food and drink businesses in the county have received accolades at the prestigious Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards.

The awards, organised by Derbyshire County Council, were held last night (Thursday 25th September) at Thornbridge Hall, Ashford-in-the-Water.

The evening was hosted by East Midlands Today presenter Dominic Heale and winners and those receiving highly commended accolades received their awards from celebrity chef Brian Turner and county council chair Councillor Joyce Sanders.

The awards aim to find and reward the best Derbyshire eateries and establishments  and are judged on a number of criteria including the quality of food and drink, use of county produce and acknowledgement of it on menus and customer service. They are judged by an independent panel of food specialists and each short-listed venue then has a mystery shopper visit.

The winners and highly commendeds are:

Restaurant of the Year

• Winner – Fischer’s of Baslow Hall
• Highly commended - `the dining room’, Ashbourne

Bistro of the Year

• Winner – The Strand, Matlock
• Highly commended – The Red Lion Pub & Bistro, Ashover

Pub of the Year

• Winner – Chequers Inn, Froggatt
• Highly commended – The Druid Inn, Birchover

Tea Room/Coffee House

• Winner – No.6, The Square, Buxton
• Highly commended – Woodlands Tea Rooms, Charlesworth

Best International Restaurant

• Winner – La Romana, Moorwood Moor, near Alfreton
• Highly commended – Le Mistral, Wirksworth

Restaurant within an Attraction

• Winner – Cavendish Rooms, Chatsworth
• Highly commended – The Great Kitchen Restaurant, Hardwick Hall

Local Food Hero

• Nick Buckingham – owner and chef at Buckingham’s, Newbold, Chesterfield.

County council cabinet member for regeneration Councillor Geoff Carlile said: “The awards celebrate Derbyshire’s reputation as a producer of excellent quality food and drink and a county which boasts many high quality establishments.

“The council is very proud to stage the awards and I’d like to congratulate all the winners and the highly commended venues as well as thanking everyone who took part.”
Councillor Carlile added: “The food and drink events we put on each year have helped to put Derbyshire firmly on the foodie map, boosting tourism and supporting and promoting local businesses.”

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.

The county council is already planning next year’s food and drink events, and the popular Derbyshire Food and Drink Fair is being held again at Bolsover Castle on 16-17 May.

Celebrity chef Brian Turner is again supporting the fair, and will be there demonstrating his culinary skills, giving tips and advice and meeting visitors.

For more information on Derbyshire’s Food & Drink Initiatives, please contact Stephanie Walsh, stephanie.walsh@derbyshire.gov.uk

Note to News Editors: Pictures from last night’s Derbyshire Food and Drink Awards are available now from the press office.
Press enquiries only to Mandy Cann on 01629 585032.

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[Archive : Awards Shortlist 2007]
[Archive : Awards Winners 2007]
[Archive : Nominate for 2008]
[Archive : Shortlist for 2008]
[Archive : Local Food Hero 2008 Nominations]
[Archive : Awards Finalists 2009]