Chester Food & Drink Festival Award Winners Announced

As part of Chester’s Food & Drink Festival, the Festival celebrated its region’s food and drink on Tuesday April 10 by holding the city’s sixth annual glittering Gala Awards dinner. The event held at the Taste Sensation Marquee in the Castle Square, marked the climax of the main Festival, whose fringe Festival continues until Sunday April 15 with special offers and meal deals at restaurants across the city.

The black tie evening began with a cocktail reception, and more than 250 guests were treated to a fabulous five course gourmet meal prepared by Head Chefs Alan Geoghegan of Pastarazzi and Paul Pegram at The Groves, with apprentices from West Cheshire College. 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 Dave Mooney (Belle Epoque), Robert Kisby, the executive head chef at the Cock O’Barton, who gave a cookery demonstration in the Taste Marquee on Monday, Steve Pinder, most well known for playing Max in Brookside and Tim Bacon, Managing Director of Living Ventures, who own the Living Room and the Black House Grill.

Chairman of the Chester Food and Drink Festival Stephen Wundke said: “The food and drink revolution in Chester and Cheshire is still very much alive. More than £500,000 was spent by visitors to Chester because of the Food & Drink Festival this weekend. We look forward to making next year’s event even bigger and better.”

Both the public and the food and drink industry voted for the award categories, so it was their favourite restaurant, bar, pub, café, hotel, shop and food producers, that received a prestigious Food & Drink Festival Award. There were two new categories at this year’s Awards, including best website and best restaurant in a hotel.

The winners were:

Best Small Restaurant of The Year supported by Chester@ Large went to Upstairs at The Grill, Watergate Street, for the second year running. Aquavit, of Watergate Street, won the Silver Award and Got Wine, of Commonhall Street, won the Bronze.

Best Large Restaurant of The Year (over 40 covers) was sponsored by H N Nuttall Ltd. and won by Pastarazzi, Grosvenor Street, for the second year running. Damian Ditchfield, general sales manager of H N Nuttall Ltd presented the Award to Stephen Wundke. The Black House Grill, of Newgate Street, won the Silver Award and the Siam Restaurant, of City Road, won Bronze.

Best Café/Sandwich Bar was sponsored by the Restaurant Association of Chester & Cheshire. The award was won by the Blue Moon Cafe on the Groves for the third year running. Café.com, of Faulkner Street, Hoole, won the Silver Award and Crumbs of Handbridge won the Bronze.

Bar of The Year supported by Marcher Sound and won by Bar Lounge on Watergate Street (Last year’s winner was The Living Room, St. Werburgh Street). Politic on Watergate Street won the Silver Award and Watergates, also of Watergate Street won the Bronze Award.

Best Cocktail Bartender of the Year is Cino Garcia-Hernandez of Upstairs At The Grill, Watergate Street, who has now won the title for the third time (Last year’s winner was Rick Warrier of Bar Lounge on Watergate Street). The competition was sponsored by eventfrog.com and judged on Monday April 2 at a cocktail evening at The Groves attended by more than 90 people.

Family Friendly Award was supported by Save The Family and won by The Red Lion, Dodleston. (Last year’s winner was The Goshawk, Mouldsworth). The Silver Award was presented to The Chester Rows Café, Visitors Centre, Vicars Lane, Chester and the Bronze was won by The Black House Grill, of Newgate Street.

Best Newcomer was sponsored by Food Northwest and won by Joseph Benjamin of Northgate Street. (Last year’s winner was The Oak, Kelsall). The Silver Award was won by the Cock O’Barton, near Farndon and the Bronze by The Black House Grill, of Newgate Street.

Local Produce Shop of The Year was sponsored by Made in Cheshire and won by Davenports Farm Shop, Northwich (Last year’s winner was The Cheese Shop in Northgate Street, Chester).

Excellence in Customer Service was sponsored by Visit Chester & Cheshire and won by Bollicini, Abbey Green, Northgate Street. It was presented by Barrie Kelly of Visit Chester & Cheshire. (Last year’s winner was Café.com, Faulkner Street, Hoole). Pastarazzi, of Grosvenor Street, won the Silver Award and the Bronze Award was won by The Grosvenor Arms, Aldford.

Junior Chef of the Year sponsored by Cheshire County Council was presented to Robert Waring, 10, of Frodsham Primary School, who won the six to 12-year-old category and Sam Wilde, 14, of Knutsford High School, who won the 12 to 16-year-old category. Robert and Sam, who were selected from more than 250 entrants across Cheshire, took to the main stage of the Chester Food & Drink Festival’s Taste Marquee on Sunday April 8. Pupils in schools across the county submitted recipes for the Chester Food and Drink Festival Competition using local produce. (Last year’s winners were 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 Villeroy & Boch was awarded to Scott Purchase of Chez Jules on Northgate Street after a Final cook off held in the Taste Marquee on Monday April 9 (Last year’s winner was Andy Wood, 21, of the Village Bistro, Charles Street, Hoole). Scott, 17, of Blacon, is chef de partie at Chez Jules and went straight from Blacon High School to work at Chez Jules.

Best Use of Local Produce was sponsored by the Restaurant Association of Chester & Cheshire and presented to the Cock O’Barton, near Farndon (Last year’s winner was the Renaissance restaurant at Ye Olde King’s Head, Lower Bridge Street). The Pheasant at Burwardsley won the Silver Award and Belle Epoque of Knutsford won the Bronze Award.

Best of the Taste Marquee was supported by Chester City Council and presented to Carole Faulkner of The Cheese Shop, Northgate Street (Last year’s winner was Dai Davies of Bread of Heaven).

Best Chester Sausage of the Festival was presented to Jamie Joinson of Chester Market (Last year’s winners were SJ Bebbington of Chester Market). Chester Market picks up the best sausage at the Food and Drink Festival for the second year running, after David Joinson’s pork and leek sausage was judged the best in a judging that took place in the Taste Marquee on Saturday April 7.

Cheese of the Year was judged in the Taste Marquee earlier in the week by an expert judging panel to be John Bourne’s Blue Cheshire Cheese; The award was presented by Carole Faulkner of The Cheese Shop, Northgate Street, Chester. (Last year’s joint winner was John Bourne’s Mature Cheshire from H S Bourne and Crabtree from Anne Connolly of Larkton Hall Farm both based in Malpas).

Best Website sponsored by onionring.co.uk was Brasserie 10/16, of Brookdale Place, Chester. This is a new category.

Best Pub of the Year was won by the Duke of Portland, Lach Dennis, near Northwich, the Silver was awarded to Stuart’s Table at the Farmer’s Arms, Huxley and the Bronze Award was won by The Faulkner, Charles Street, Hoole.

Best Restaurant in a hotel was won by The Brasserie at the Grosvenor Hotel, Eastgate Street, The Silver Award was won by The Restaurant at The Alderley Edge Hotel and the Bronze Award was won by the Dining Room at Inglewood Manor, Wirral. This is a new category.

Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Tom Fell of Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, Tattenhall. In 1986, Tom and Margaret Fell decided to add value to the milk produced by their 300 cows. As lovers of ice-cream and with the limited supply of luxury ice-cream available at that time the decision was made to make a high quality affordable ice -ream using fresh whole milk and fresh cream. In July 1986, the ice cream parlour opened to the public which was an instant success. Now visitor numbers are more than 250,000 a year.

The Ice Cream Parlour has grown to be one of the largest in the country, with an adjoining Tea Room capable of seating 60 people. (Last year’s winner was Jane Casson of Made in Cheshire Carole Previous winners have been “national treasure” Carole Faulkner of the Cheese Shop in Northgate Street, ‘Cheese detective’ Peter Papprill and Mill Hotel owner, Gordon Vickers).