‘I went to the Food & Drink Awards and it was a joyous celebration of why we should be proud of Northamptonshire’

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This week I went to the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards, and it was a joyous celebration of one of the reasons we should be proud of our county.

As my third year in attendance, the room only gets more vibrant each time – with more things to be excited about among our evolving food and drink scene.

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The excitement and anticipation builds each year for the deserving finalists, who learnt if they were gold, silver, bronze or commended winners at the Royal & Derngate on Thursday (October 17).

Each year these awards shine a spotlight on the county’s culinary excellence, and fly the flag for buying and supporting local.

The excitement and anticipation builds each year for the deserving finalists, who learnt if they were gold, silver, bronze or commended winners at the Royal & Derngate on Thursday (October 17). Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.The excitement and anticipation builds each year for the deserving finalists, who learnt if they were gold, silver, bronze or commended winners at the Royal & Derngate on Thursday (October 17). Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
The excitement and anticipation builds each year for the deserving finalists, who learnt if they were gold, silver, bronze or commended winners at the Royal & Derngate on Thursday (October 17). Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.

The annual event epitomises what the food and drink industry is all about. It brings talent from all over the county together, to celebrate each other’s achievements.

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The room always buzzes with conversation, as attendees are eager to make connections and learn more about the people they have been sat with. It really was a pleasure to watch these interactions unfold, with beaming smiles on so many faces before the award ceremony had even begun.

It kickstarted with opening words from awards director Rachel Mallows, Royal & Derngate CEO Jo Gordon, and representative from headline sponsor Weetabix Stuart Branch.

While their praise for the talented individuals in the room got the night off to a positive start, this was only enhanced by a performance from local talent Billy Lockett – who shot to stardom after appearing on the latest series of The Voice. He joined each winner on stage for pictures throughout.

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Local talent Billy Lockett, who recently appeared on The Voice, performed at the start of the ceremony. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.Local talent Billy Lockett, who recently appeared on The Voice, performed at the start of the ceremony. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
Local talent Billy Lockett, who recently appeared on The Voice, performed at the start of the ceremony. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.

The 19 award categories were split into three sections, with the three-course meal breaking up the evening.

The ‘always deliver’ section, which commenced after the starter, spotlighted the best products, dishes, student chefs and contributions to healthy food.

This was followed by the ‘one team’ awards, commending the hard work of individual chefs, cafes, restaurants and pubs.

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The evening concluded with the ‘lead by example’ category, with awards that praised the achievement, contributions and sustainability efforts of individuals and businesses.

Hundreds were in attendance. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.Hundreds were in attendance. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.
Hundreds were in attendance. Photo: Kirsty Edmonds.

The three-course meal went down a treat among guests and it had been created using a range of products from well-known independents across the county. It was Northamptonshire through and through, as you would expect.

It was a joy to watch on as the thrilled, and quite often surprised, winners took to the stage to collect their awards. There were three categories with two gold winners, which the organisers try to avoid each year, and this proves the standard was just too high.

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There were a total of 22 gold winners across the 19 categories, with the remaining tens of finalists awarded either silver, bronze or commended. You can take a look at the full list of gold winners here.

It was great to see that the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards were once again a raving success – and let’s hope the people of our county continue to support these award-winning businesses as and when they can.

Keep an eye out as the Chronicle & Echo will be publishing interviews with a number of the gold winners over the coming weeks.

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