> Go to an overview of Chester Food & Drink Festival 2006 GALA DINNER & AWARDS
About Chester Food & Drink Festival 2006 GALA DINNER & AWARDS
Chester Food and Drink Festival 2006 Awards Announced
As part of Chester’s Food & Drink Festival, the Festival celebrated its region’s food and drink on Tuesday April 18 by holding the city’s fifth annual glittering Gala Awards dinner. The event held at the Taste Sensation Marquee in the Crown Courts car park, marked the climax of the main Festival, whose fringe Festival continues to Saturday April 22 with special offers and meal deals at restaurants across the city.
The black tie evening began with a cocktail reception, and guests were treated to a fabulous five course gourmet meal prepared by Head Chefs Alan Geoghegan from the Globe and Paul Pegram at The Groves, with apprentices from West Cheshire College and their tutor, Paul Baxter. The Gala dinner menu featured regional produce sourced on behalf of the Festival and sponsored by North West Fine Foods.
This spectacular evening was hosted by Lisa Marrey and Bec Turton from Chester and Wrexham’s MFM 103.4, and the awards were presented amongst many well known faces, including celebrity chefs Dai ‘Chef’ Davies and Paul Heathcote (Simply Heathcotes) restaurateurs Nighat Awan (Shere Khan) and Dave Mooney (Belle Epoque), Trevor Green of Vision Impact & ITV Granada and Hollyoaks star, Sarah Jane Buckley who plays Kathy Barnes, as well as Dean Sullivan, who played Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside.
Both the public and the food and drink industry voted for the award categories, so it was their favourite restaurant, bar, pub, cafe, hotel, shop and food producers, that received a prestigious Food & Drink Festival Award. The winners of the Awards in the Categories were:
Best Small Restaurant of The Year sponsored by Aqueous Wholesale went to Upstairs at the Grill, Watergate Street. Mark Jarvis accepted the award and thanked everyone who had made the award possible. (Last year’s winner was the Village Bistro, Charles Street, Hoole)
Best Large Restaurant of The Year (over 40 covers) was sponsored by H N Nuttall Ltd. and won by Pastarazzi, Grosvenor Street. Damian Ditchfield, general sales manager of HN Nuttall presented the Award to Greg Hancock. (Last year’s winner was Pacino’s, St Anne’s Street, Newtown).
Best Cafe/Coffee Shop was supported by La Cafetiere and presented by Managing Director Lew Bingham. The award is won by the Blue Moon Cafe on the Groves for the second year running.
Bar/Pub of The Year sponsored by Onion Ring is The Living Room, St.Werburgh Street. (Last year’s winner was Bar Lounge on Watergate Street)
Best Cocktail Bartender of the Year is Rick Warrier of Bar Lounge on Watergate Street with his winning ‘Thyme to get Ugly’ Tanquaray gin based creation. Amy Abbott of Diageo UK presented the award to Rick. (Last year’s winner was Cino Garcia-Hernandez from Upstairs at the Grill). The competition was sponsored by Smirnoff Black, Shaker UK and MFM 103.4 and judged on Sunday at the cocktail evening attended by more than 80 people.
Family Friendly Award was supported by www.eatandplay.co.uk and presented by Cllr. David Evans of Chester City Council. (Last year’s winner was Est Est Est in Newgate Street) . This year’s winner is The Goshawk, Mouldsworth and the award was accepted by operations manager Duncan Falconer and general manager Richard Booth.
Best Newcomer was sponsored by IN/OUT magazine and Editor Giles Cooper presented the award to The Oak, Kelsall. (Last year’s winner was La Taverna of Lower Bridge Street).
Local Produce Shop of The Year was presented by the Lord Mayor of Chester Cllr. Mike Jones to Carole Faulkner of The Cheese Shop in Northgate Street for the second year running.
Excellence in Customer Service was sponsored by The Restaurant Association of Chester & Cheshire and won by Cafe.com, Faulkner Street, Hoole. It was presented by Richard Daly of Visit Chester & Cheshire. (Last year’s winner was the Living Room in St. Werburgh Street).
The Best of Made in Cheshire was sponsored by Made in Cheshire and presented to Alison Healer of Alison’s Homemade based near Nantwich. Yoghurt makers Tiresford Guernsey Gold in Tarporley won last year. Jane Casson of Made in Cheshire said; “Alison goes the extra mile and out of 118 members really gets involved in committees & farmers markets. Her products are all handmade & taste delicious.”
Junior Chef of the Year awarded in conjunction with Cheshire County Council was presented by Cllr Barrie Hardern of Cheshire County Council and won by Jonathan Barnes, aged seven, of Christleton Primary School in the under 11 category and Abigail Kay, 13, of Verdin High School, Winsford, who was the under 16 winner.
Young Chef of the Year, sponsored by Shell UK was awarded by Trevor Green of Vision Impact & ITV Granada to Andy Wood, 21, of the Village Bistro, Charles Street, Hoole after a Final cook off held in the Taste Marquee on Monday April 17. (Last year’s winner was Wesley Duggan of the Craxton Wood Hotel in Ledsham).
Best Use of Local Produce was supported by Chester.com and presented to the Renaissance restaurant at Ye Olde King’s Head, Lower Bridge Street, by chairman of the Chester Food & Drink Festival Stephen Wundke. Accepting the Award, Martin Cuddihy of Ye Olde King’s Head said: “This marks a real renaissance at The King’s Head.” (Last year’s winner was Martin Bouchier of the Farndon Arms).
Best of the Taste Marquee was supported by Philpotts Ltd and Chairman and Founder Phil Brown presented the award to Dai Davies of Bread of Heaven (Last year’s winner was Maranatha Kitchens and Bathrooms, Sealand Avenue, Deeside).
Best Chester Sausage sponsored by Lucus Ingredients was presented to SJ Bebbington Butchers, Chester Market, for their boerewors sausage, after three recounts at the judging competition on Saturday April 15. Accepting the Award, Stuart Bebbington said: “I’m chuffed to bits. It makes it all worthwhile. We work hard at Chester market and always like to use local ingredients.” (Last year’s winners were Vaughan’s Family butchers).
Cheese of the Year was judged in the Taste Marquee earlier in the week by an expert judging panel to be a joint winner of Cheshire Cheese; John Bourne’s Mature Cheshire from H S Bourne and Crabtree from Anne Connolly of Larkton Hall Farm both based in Malpas. The award was presented by Carole Faulkner of The Cheese Shop. (Last year’s winner was Staffordshire Organic cheese).
Best Interior Design is a new Award supported by Shere Khan Group and judged by architect James Brotherhood. The winner was Piccolino, Pepper Street and the award was presented by Shere Khan chief executive Nighat Awan OBE.
Festival Beer Winner is The Jolly Brewer, Poplar Road, Wrexham after judging at the Taste Marquee. (Last year’s winner was Weetwood Ales, with their Eastgate Ale.)
Best Wine List sponsored by Rodney Densem Wines was presented by Managing Director Steve Leonard to The Arkle, Chester Grosvenor and the award was accepted by Stephanie White.
Outstanding Achievement Award was sponsored by Business Link and awarded at the judges’ discretion by Sab Losy of Business Link Cheshire & Warrington. This year’s winner is Jane Casson of Made in Cheshire for her “tireless work at all hours, often seen with two phones clamped to her head”. Jane speaking after the awards said; “I was surprised, pleased & am honoured to be recognised this way, following in such honoured footsteps. Made in Cheshire is starting to work, people are starting to eat local.” Last year’s winner was Carole Faulkner of “national treasure” the Cheese Shop in Northgate Street. Previous winners have been ‘Cheese detective’ Peter Papprill and Mill Hotel owner, Gordon Vickers.
Lord Mayor of Chester, Cllr Mike Jones, said: “All the establishments mentioned tonight have been instrumental in setting the standards of culinary excellence, hospitality and service in the City. These Awards are all about promoting Chester’s thriving food and drink scene to a local, national and international audience, as well as making Chester a more enjoyable place to live. This event also highlights the diversity and superb quality of the regional produce available to us in and around Chester.
I was lucky enough to visit the Taste Marquee on Saturday and found a delicious range of quality produce. Well done to everyone involved in this excellent event.”
Chester’s Food and Drink Festival is organised on behalf of Chester City Council with support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Visit Chester & Cheshire; the tourism board for Cheshire and Warrington, Cheshire County Council, Made in Cheshire and North West Fine Foods.
Ends: 1,322 words
PHOTOS (300dpi plus) & PRESS OFFICE at http://www.marketingprojects.co.uk/news.asp?clientid=2 or www.chesterfoodanddrink.com
Notes 16,000 people visited the Taste Marquee and 90,000 pounds was spent there over the three days. - 51 per cent of visitors came from outside the county, from a distance of more than 25 miles, making a total of 8,000 people brought into the City. - 78 per cent of people surveyed said the event was good or excellent. - 87 per cent of people surveyed said they were likely to return.
Background Chester’s Food and Drink Fringe Festival is taking place around the City from April 12 to 22 2006 involving special offers for accommodation and eating out to excite the whole family. There has been the famous Cheese Rolling ceremony on 15th March, the Bottle Cap Mosaic World Record Attempt on 3rd April and the Ale Assize will be around the City on 22nd April.
Nearly 100 producers and exhibitors were on show in the Taste Marquee, bringing their own skills and produce from Cheshire and around the world to be part of the Festival.
There were seminars and competitions in micro brewing, wines, sausages and cheeses and the opportunity to taste local pate, black pudding, bread, cereals, oils, pies, meat, fish, cheeses, chocolates, liqueurs and even a juice bar.
Press Contacts: Jane Harrad-Roberts Mob: 07785 395705 Phil Brotherhood Mob: 07884 493370 MARKETING PROJECTS : Tel: 01244 330000 Email: foodies@marketingprojects.co.uk
