Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2022: Finalists revealed for F&B Achiever and One to Watch categories

Another round of finalists has been announced for the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink (WNFAD) awards 2022 in the F&B Achiever and One to Watch categories.

The annual awards set out to celebrate the successes of hundreds of Northamptonshire based food and drink businesses and individuals excelling in culinary excellence.

The F&B Achiever of the Year award, sponsored by Howes Percival, is designed to recognise someone who has made a significant contribution to the sector.

Partner at Howes Percival, Matthew Talbot, said: “I was blown away by the high standard of the finalists this year. It’s wonderful to see such quality from across the county, from a range of businesses, all working hard to put Northamptonshire on the map.”

The F&B Achiever award may come early in a career, as recognition of creative ideas, or when someone has established a consistently outstanding record.

Finalists for F&B Achiever of the Year are:

- Andrew Collins, Whittlebury Bakery

- Suzy Keeping and Chris D'alessio, KDR Events Ltd

- Aldo Gallone, E. Gallone Ltd

- Joe Buckley, Tollemache Arms

The One to Watch category, sponsored by Whitworth Bros Ltd, is aimed at food and drink manufacturers whose businesses are less than five years old.

It is designed to recognise their potential for major growth and their future significant impact on the market, thereby raising the profile of Northamptonshire at a regional or national level.

Last year, Yum Chop foods were crowned joint Gold winners, and are now part of ‘Thrive with Sainsbury’s’ 2022 cohort programme, assisting them with a financial commitment to support their transition to supermarket shelves.

Founders of Yum Chop, Abi and Michael, said: “Being a Gold winner in this category has really helped us. It demonstrated to us that we are on the right track and was a real affirmation of our product and our business ethos.

“Congratulations to the finalists in this year’s competition – I hope they will use this to show just how amazing they are.”

Finalists for One to Watch are:

- Nakasero Foods

- Nasty Vegan Ltd

- Northampton Cheese Company

- The Flavour Trailer

- Jute Coffee Limited

All finalists will discover their fate on Wednesday, October 12 when the winners and runners-up are announced in all 15 categories at the awards dinner taking place at the Royal & Derngate theatre in Northampton.

For more details on all the categories in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2022/23, visit www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk.

You can also follow the Awards on Facebook at @foodawards or Twitter and Instagram at @foodawardsHQ or on LinkedIn at @weetabixnfadawards.