Herefordshire’s acclaimed producers, chefs and restaurateurs will come together to celebrate the county’s finest cuisine at a prestigious prize giving ceremony next week (Monday September 19).
The sixth annual Flavours of Herefordshire Awards, at Burton Court, near Pembridge, in north Herefordshire, will see a host of pubs, inns and food producers recognised for their special contribution to the county’s gastronomic delights.
The event will be attended by dignitaries, industry leaders and cooks as well as producers and tourism bosses.
This year the competition has been split into eight categories including a new prize for Young Chef of the Year.
Four chefs have already been short-listed for the young chef award after they were put through their paces during a cookery demonstration overseen by judges David Hetterley, Deputy News Editor of the Hereford Times, Les Brown, Herefordshire College of Art and Technology and Jane Lewis, Herefordshire Council.
Deiniol Pritchard, of the Bridge House, Ross-on-Wye, and Matthew Warburton, at The Verzon Hotel, near Ledbury, were selected from the industry category while Ceri Hill and Daniel Porter, of Herefordshire College of Technology, made it through from college entrants.
All four had to cook up two two course meals in 90 minutes using Herefordshire beef and two local ingredients for the main meal and at least one other local ingredient for dessert.
Other categories include Restaurant of the Year, Tea Room of the Year, Pub of the Year, Flavours of Herefordshire Breakfast of the Year, Shop/Retailer of the Year, Producer of the Year and Self-Catering accommodation of the Year.
A special award will also be made by Herefordshire's Chamber of Commerce.
"The awards ceremony is now one of the highlights of the county's calendar," said Herefordshire Tourism's Principal Tourism Officer, Jane Lewis.
"What we are finding is that year-on-year, the entrants are setting higher and higher standards, and therefore making the job of the judges that little bit harder.
“But as a result of all that, of course, the awards themselves have genuine meaning and value."
Over the years, the scheme has also helped to highlight Herefordshire's reputation for its food, and locally-sourced menus – both domestically, and overseas.
One of the end products of the awards scheme is the publication, each October, of a Flavours of Herefordshire booklet, which lists all of the prize winners, and includes other information for visitors wanting to follow a food trail around the county.
Rod Dawson, Lecturer in the Hospitality Department at Herefordshire College of Technology, added: ”The College is very pleased to be involved in this competition and the standard of entry both from the college and industry has been very high.”
For further details visit www.visitherefordshire.co.uk