Brought to you by Norfolk Magazine, in association with the Eastern Daily Press, the Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2024 are all about recognising and celebrating our wonderful food and drink industry.
You only need to spend a short while in one of our county’s charming market towns, seaside hotspots or the fine city of Norwich to see that Norfolk is a haven for foodies.
With fresh, seasonal produce in abundance and an array of local chefs that are passionate about turning these ingredients into something special, there truly is something for all tastes.
Now is the time to nominate your favourites, shining a light on Norfolk’s food heroes who have added to the fabulous flavour of our county, at norfolkfada.co.uk
We are proud to be working with category sponsors Benedicts, Caistor Hall, Castlemeadow Care, Hotel School at City College Norwich, Jarrolds, Motorvogue DS Store Norwich, Newman Refrigeration and The Gin Trap Inn this year.
Our beer partner Woodforde’s Brewery will be supplying its award-winning beer at the awards ceremony, and Booker/Makro are our wine and prosecco supplier for the event.
These awards would not be possible without the support of these fantastic businesses.
We have 11 categories open for entries this year, plus the non-entry Outstanding Achievement award, and will be accepting entries from businesses themselves, as well as nominations from customers.
Entries will remain open until midnight on Sunday, June 9, 2024 – so if you have a favourite restaurant, café, retailer or other food and drink business, get your nominations in now.
After the deadline, judging will commence and the judges will head out to complete organised meetings, or unannounced visits with shortlisted nominees and entrants.
They will judge against set criteria to determine the finalists for each category. The winners will be announced at the Norfolk Food and Drink Awards event on Monday, September 16, 2024 at Caistor Hall Hotel in Norwich.
See the full entry criteria and nominate your favourites at norfolkfada.co.uk
Regional firm announced as new award sponsor
This year, Newman Refrigeration has joined the Norfolk Food and Drink Awards as a category sponsor.
“We are incredibly proud to be sponsoring the Food and Drink Retailer category,” said Rob Newman, operations director. “There are many great food and drink retailers across Norfolk and we are committed to recognising the businesses that work so hard to offer such an incredible range of products to choose from.
“Whether it’s their own produce or locally-sourced products from other amazing Norfolk brands – these businesses celebrate the variety we have available.”
Newman Refrigeration is a long-established independent refrigeration service company specialising in consultancy, system design, installation, service and maintenance of refrigeration, heat pump and air conditioning systems.
The business has a focus on large commercial, industrial, and food retail refrigeration solutions, and proudly maintains long-established relationships with multi-site retailers, wholesale meat processors and hospital trusts, to name but a few.
Each business relationship has been founded by Newman Refrigeration’s ability to establish, understand and deliver upon individual customer’s specific needs.
Its directly employed engineers are based throughout the UK to ensure a four-hour emergency breakdown response. All engineers are fully trained to work on traditional refrigeration, CO2 and hydrocarbon systems.
For more information, visit newmanrefrigeration.co.uk
The categories:
PUB/BAR OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by The Gin Trap Inn
This award is for pubs and bars across Norfolk that have created a high-quality offering for their customers.
Bars, traditional drinking pubs and those that have built a reputation for their restaurant and/or bar menu will be considered for this award.
The establishments that are chosen as finalists will demonstrate an understanding of the market, great standards of customer service and technical expertise in sourcing a good range and standard of drinks – both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
A strong sense of character should be felt upon visiting these top-performing pubs and bars.
BEST COFFEE SHOP/CAFÉ
For this category the judges will be looking for a coffee shop/café in Norfolk that offers an outstanding customer experience.
They will be impressed by a relaxed, comfortable ambience, originality, an imaginative menu and aspects that make the café or tea shop special.
The winner will frequently provide a warm welcome, high-quality tea and/or coffee alongside a range of other drinks and tasty food made from fresh, local produce – all served with an excellent level of customer service.
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Benedicts
This category will recognise restaurants across Norfolk that create an excellent all-round dining experience for customers from the ambience of the venue to the service.
They will provide a varied menu that uses local, fresh produce, alongside outstanding customer service.
BEST NORFOLK PRODUCER
Sponsored by Jarrolds
This award recognises the passionate manufacturers that are creating fantastic food and drink products within the county.
The judges will be impressed by an exceptional product that showcases the producer’s flair for creating, developing and delivering a unique, successful and highly regarded item as a stand-alone or as part of its brand.
The product must be made in Norfolk, although it is not essential that every ingredient is sourced from within the county.
CHEF OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Motorvogue DS Store Norwich
The prestigious title of Chef of the Year will go to an inspirational Norfolk chef who recognises the close link between creating fine food and using the best local produce.
The category is open to chefs who are currently working within the Norfolk food and drink industry, but who may come from all areas of the hospitality industry, including restaurants, hotels, pubs, fine dining, contract catering, and the private and public sector.
Customers, businesses and chefs can nominate for this category. Chefs will also be contacted to submit a formal entry.
FRONT OF HOUSE EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Caistor Hall
This category aims to recognise an often overlooked yet extremely important sector of the industry, celebrating a level of front of house provision that makes a truly enjoyable visit to a restaurant, café or pub.
The judges will be expecting businesses to provide a warm welcome, demonstrating an understanding of customers’ needs, a good knowledge of menus, dishes and provenance of ingredients, as well as a personable approach that complements the establishment and enhances the visit.
FOOD AND DRINK RETAILER
Sponsored by Newman Refrigeration
This category is open to farm shops, markets and retailers. The judges will be looking for innovation in products and presentation, as well as any added facilities the retailer has to offer.
The winner will be a business that combines vision, a passion for high-quality and fresh local produce.
Well laid-out shops that offer a wide variety of great products, and staff who demonstrate good standards of customer care, product knowledge and service, will also be expected.
BEST NEWCOMER
Any business or individual that has started a food and/or drink venture in the last three years (after April 2021) can enter this category. The judges will be looking for an outstanding early-stage business that is already a success story or shows promise to become one.
The winner will be able to demonstrate a dedicated effort to drive the business forward, coupled with a pioneering approach leading to strong performance over the past year, as well as the potential to flourish and be sustainable.
STREET FOOD VENDOR
Street food vendors eligible for this award should be based in Norfolk and attend markets, fairs, events and shows offering up sweet treats, savoury snacks or takeaway meals.
The judges will assess entrants to determine the quality of their offering, which should include an enticing menu, the use of local produce and affordable pricing.
FIELD TO FORK
Sponsored by City College Norwich
This award aims to showcase growers and producers that are passionate about what they do and that have the talent and skill to grow, develop and market outstanding and commercially scalable food or drink produce.
The judges are looking for individuals or businesses with the ability and vision to grow food or drink produce in this region. They also need to show environmental credentials and demonstrate contribution to the local community.
FOOD/DRINK EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Castlemeadow Care
For this category, judges are looking for the very best food/drink experience in Norfolk, this could include farmers’ markets, themed food events or themed menu experiences.
The winner could be an experience that has been successfully running for years, or a brand-new food/drink experience that is seen to be a great success to date. Judges will also want to hear about the entrants’ and nominees’ plans for the future.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The winner of this non-entry award will be hand-picked by the judges.
They will be an individual that has made an outstanding contribution to Norfolk’s food and drink sector and could come from any part of the industry – working as a chef, restaurateur, grower, retailer or educator and acting as a champion for local food and drink.
The judges will be looking to recognise someone who is an expert in their field, has a proven track record for excellence and acts as an inspiration for colleagues, students and newcomers to the industry – setting a standard that others strive to attain.
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