You might find that getting a table at some of the county’s finest food venues has just got a little bit tougher after the winners in the dining categories of the inaugural Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards were finally announced!The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, were aimed at celebrating excellence among the county’s eateries and to give a public pat on the back to those owners, managers and landlords who strive to offer their customers the perfect dining experience. 

The title of ‘Restaurant of the Year’ went to The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant in Paulerspury and Yvette Jones, who accepted the trophy on behalf of owners Marcus and Julie Springett, said they were delighted. “Marcus and Julie are absolutely passionate about what they do – it is their life! The food, the people, the service – they’re the key ingredients in running a successful restaurant and receiving this award is proof that they’re getting it right. They’re absolutely thrilled and are looking forward to celebrating with the people of Northamptonshire!”

Meanwhile The White Swan at Harrringworth was named ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’, and its owners, husband and wife team Adam and Gina Longden, were almost speechless after hearing their names announced. “It’s amazing” said Adam. “We often work seven days a week and this is real reward for all that effort, especially looking after three kids as well!” Added Gina “Whether we’ve got two people or fifty-two people in the pub, we’d like to think we give them the service they deserve and perhaps that’s what the judges recognised when they came to visit – we’re just delighted!”

The results were announced by double Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing to an expectant audience of more than 400 guests at last night’s ‘Celebration of Northamptonshire’ dinner at Althorp (Friday 9^th October). Marcus, whose latest book ‘Nutmeg and Custard’ has just been published, said he was honoured to be part of the competition “I’m really very impressed with what’s being achieved here in Northamptonshire. I’ve always been keen on sourcing local and supporting local and these awards are a great way of promoting what’s on offer here. In fact, I’m thinking I should take the idea back to my home county of Lancashire to get them to do the same!”

The three judges who were charged with difficult but rather enjoyable task of ‘mystery shopping’ the ten finalists were celebrity chef and former Northamptonshire resident Sophie Grigson, food journalist Joanna Roughton and Duncan Taylor, whose The Bluebell Inn in Henley-in-Arden was the winner of the Best Dining Pub/Inn in the Coventry and Warwickshire Food and Drink Awards in both 2008 and 2009, so a man perfectly placed to judge what makes for a successful food pub. Said Duncan “Winning our award has been incredibly positive for us – great recognition for all the team, not to mention a huge boost to our business, as I’m sure it will be for the winners of these inaugural awards. I hope that a moment in the spotlight at such a glitzy affair, complete with celebrity chefs and local dignitaries, is fitting tribute to those whose work so often goes unrewarded.” Joanna’s praise was for the south Northamptonshire winners but she also commended all those who took part. “The Vine House are indeed worthy of their title but I should like to add that it was an extremely difficult task because the standard of all the finalists was so high. I was really very impressed with the quality of cooking and of the use of local ingredients and I hope these awards bring them all greater recognition. They certainly deserve it!” And Sophie added her particular commendation for the team at the White Swan “ This place is everything a pub-restaurant should be; warm and welcoming and serving local produce at its best.”

The results for the two categories are:

‘Restaurant of the Year’:
The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant, Paulerspury – winner
Oundle Mill, Oundle – runner-up

Other finalists (in alphabetical order):
Greens Restaurant and Bar, Northampton
Murrays at Whittlebury Hall, Whittlebury
The Church Restaurant, Northampton 

‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’:
The White Swan, Harringworth – winner
The Saracen’s Head, Little Brington – runner-up

Other finalists (in alphabetical order):
The Olde Red Lion, Kislingbury
The Red Lion, Sibbertoft
The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth

The competition’s co-ordinator, Rachel Mallows of ‘Rachel Mallows Services to Business’ said that the announcement of the winners was an exciting culmination to the whole awards “I’m absolutely delighted for those who’ve been successful and indeed for all those who have taken part. I think it’s only right that we should reward all those hard working chefs and restaurateurs for the excellence they achieve and it makes me proud to think that we have the kind of fine dining venues here in Northamptonshire to rival any in the country. I hope that the county’s many food lovers will now show their support by trying out the venues for themselves, if only to see if the judges made the right decisions!”

Meanwhile Kate Dent, Head of Tourism at Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd, said “What a fantastic climax to what has been such an exciting project for all of us, last night’s awards presentations really were the icing on the cake! We extend our huge congratulations to all the finalists and a special well done to the winners along with a vote of thanks to all the team at Rachel Mallows Services to Business for their invaluable coordination of these awards. All the businesses involved have impressed us with the excellent high standard of quality and service, what a perfect excuse for people to get out and about in Northamptonshire and try them out for themselves!”

 When it comes to winning awards for fine dining, very few can compete with the bulging trophy cabinet of a world-famous double Michelin-starred chef. So who better than Marcus Wareing to be dishing up the prizes to the county’s best restaurateurs in the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2009?

Marcus, who has recently been voted ‘Best Chef’ by a leading European restaurant review website, will be the special guest at the ‘Celebration of Northamptonshire’ dinner being held at Althorp on 9 October and will present the awards to the title winners of ‘Restaurant of the Year’ and ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’ for 2009.

The awards, devised by Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited, were set up to celebrate good practise among the county’s eateries.

Said Marcus “I’m absolutely delighted to be involved with these new awards. It’s a tough challenge getting all the ingredients together to create the perfect dining experience and it’s only right and proper that we should honour those who work so hard to achieve it!”   

2009 has proved to be a momentous year for the chef himself, with his restaurant ‘Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley’ being awarded two Michelin stars, voted number three in Restaurant Magazine’s Top 100 Restaurant awards and making a dramatic entry at number 52 on the San Pellegrino world restaurant awards list. The chef, who can count A-List celebrities Kylie Minogue, Sharon Stone, Madonna, Robert De Niro and Kevin Spacey among his customers, is also publishing his latest book ‘Nutmeg and Custard’ later this month.

Food lovers will also have seen Marcus regularly demonstrating his kitchen skills on television, having appeared on BBC TV’s ‘Great British Menu’ – where his dessert of egg custard tart and Garibaldi biscuit was served at the Queen’s 80^th birthday banquet – and as a guest on James Martin’s ‘Saturday Kitchen’.

The finalists in the two categories were chosen after assessment of their entries by a select panel of judges, including Catering Manager at Northampton College Mike Coppock and David Kennedy, Chief Executive of Northampton Borough Council.

Those vying for the title of ‘Restaurant of the Year’ are:

Greens Restaurant and Bar, Northampton
Murrays at Whittlebury Hall, Whittlebury
Oundle Mill, Oundle
The Church Restaurant, Northampton          
The Vine House Hotel and Restaurant, Paulerspury 

While the ‘Pub or Bar Restaurant of the Year’ shortlist is: 

The Olde Red Lion, Kislingbury
The Red Lion, Sibbertoft
The Saracen’s Head, Little Brington
The Walnut Tree Inn, Blisworth
The White Swan, Harringworth 

Said Jeremy Medley, Head Chef and General Manager of Oundle Mill, “Marcus is an outstanding chef.  His involvement is a great coup for the Northamptonshire awards.  This shows how important these awards are to businesses in the county.”

Members of the public can still show their support by logging on to www.letyourselfgrow.com and selecting their favourite eatery from the shortlist by following the details on the website.  Voting will be open until 27 September.  The winners and runners-up in each category will be chosen by the expert panel taking into account public support and the results of the ‘mystery shopping’ of each of the ten venues.

Kate Dent, Head of Tourism at Northamptonshire Enterprise Ltd said “We’re thrilled that Marcus Wareing is on board, his association is yet another in a long line of exciting developments for these awards and for Northamptonshire’s food and drink establishments, further proof of the county’s quality offering receiving the praise and recognition it deserves.”

Tickets are now available for the ‘Celebration of Northamptonshire’ dinner at Althorp on 9 October priced at £90. Now in its third successive year, the dinner and charity auction event is aimed at celebrating all that is great about Northamptonshire – set against the stunning backdrop of one of the county’s finest historic homes. More details are available at: www.celebratenorthamptonshire.co.uk