The Flavours of Herriot Country Awards
Celebrating the Best in Food & Drink throughout Herriot Country
THE FLAVOURS OF HERRIOT COUNTRY AWARDS
As we know, these are difficult times for us all, and we felt it would be good to look ahead to next year, and have something positive to aim for.
We have booked a date with our Award hosts at The Garden Rooms, Tennants, for Monday, March 29, 2021. Due to the situation many of you might be in, we will look at how we plan the award categories for next year, as it might be somewhat different.
We will certainly have a great celebration with you all, and hopefully mark the occasion as a positive move forward.
We wish you all well, and that you keep safe.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR 2019 WINNERS!
We are delighted to announce the Winner’s of the Flavours of Herriot Country Awards 2019.
Here they all are, with the judges comments of what made them stand out from all the very many finalists that entered this year…
the 2019 award winners
Breakfast of the Year
A.J. Spilman & Son, Helperby
SPONSORED BY: YORKSHIRES TRUE TOURS
Breakfast is thought of as a great start to the day, and there was nothing here that could disappoint!
A lovely rural retreat is what the judges found, with a welcoming pathway of glorious bright pumpkins of all shapes and sizes leading to the old stone buildings.
A lovely choice of breakfast treats and substantial breakfasts on offer, The Full English and the vegetarian option was ordered.
The Veggie breakfast was absolutely delicious, and the home made seasonal vegetable hash were scrumptious. On the full English the local sausages and bacon were cooked to perfection. On both plates the sunny eggs and home-made baked beans were a delight. Generous portions on the plate and toast and tea a plenty. What a winner!
Tea Room of the Year
Eppleby Village Shop & Tea Room
SPONSORED BY: GARDEN ROOMS, TENNANTS, LEYBURN
This village shop and tea room provides the most delightful social centre for the pretty village of Eppleby. Opening at 7.45am for locals to collect papers and fresh milk, and not closing until 6pm in case someone has forgotten an ingredient for their tea, this friendly enterprise has become famous in the area. Cyclists from near and far drop in constantly and I think that perhaps if you want to gather village news, then this is where it will be.
The new coffee machine is a great asset and all the baking is homemade with scones, cream, jam and butter on offer as well as slabs of Bakewell tart. A comfy sofa and a TV all make for the perfect setting for a good natter. Well done!
Local Product of the Year
The Home Farmer, Aysgarth
SPONSORED BY: SHEPHERDS PURSE CHEESES
What a fantastic story – The milk is presented in a most fantastic glass bottle which of course is refillable bringing a nice touch – The presentation was great, but when tasted I don’t know what to say apart from – Oh My Word !!! This genuinely magical bottle of milk held great depth of flavour and in blind tasting across three different types of milk ran the mile with great success. A really creamy finish which added to the memory of how milk should taste. This took our flavour senses to the edge as we melted and reached for another glass.
Specialist Retailer of the Year
Minskip Farm Shop
SPONSORED BY: ROUNTON COFFEE
Excellent local vegetable & Egg display. Poultry Farm is actually onsite with own high welfare free range poultry & outdoor rare breed pigs. A modern look to the website, great images. Good selection of events held on site. Tree planting & rewilding in progress on the farm. With a small retail area improving on each visit, perfectly formed with great ethics.
Afternoon Tea of the Year
The Joiners Shop, Ingleby Arncliffe
SPONSORED BY: MAD HATTER TEA
You are already relaxed as you drive into the charming village of Ingleby Cross. Once parked you can only admire the lovely setting that is the Joiners Shop.
Once inside there is a warm, friendly atmosphere. Upstairs is spacious and light. Your drinks are served so you can chat away as you unwind and await your afternoon tea.
The stand arrives looking so appetising with fresh fruit dotted around.
A varied and creative selection of sandwiches followed by scones and pastries are all very tasty and for lovers of macaroons- well they’re a real treat.
Pleasant service and no time pressure means you leave relaxed having enjoyed a pleasant few hours away from it all.
Pub Food of the Year
The Freemasons Arms, Nosterfield
SPONSORED BY: HAMBELTON DISTRICT COUNCIL
The Freemasons Arms welcome was as warm as the lit stove. The locally inspired menu with a great specials board benefited from restaurant quality cooking with generous portions and great presentation. The staff were engaged and friendly and were confident to give recommendations that exceeded expectations.
Restaurant of the Year
The Saddle Room, Coverham, Leyburn
SPONSORED BY: YOREBRIDGE HOUSE HOTEL
This place offers tasty Yorkshire food in the heart of The Yorkshire Dales. It may not be “fine dining” offering all the frills, but what they offer is solid cooking, nicely presented and executed exceptionally well. Fantastic value, attentive friendly service, the overall experience exceeded our expectation and we consider this place to be a little gem.
Baked Product of the Year
The Two Dales Bakery, Reeth
SPONSORED BY: THE BARKER PARTNERSHIP
The judges noted it was not that easy coming to a decision as all the finalists sent such well-made products ticking many boxes in the baking world, especially Vegan and Allergen free baking, however we had a unanimous result.
We were provided with four different breads two of which were formidable organic sourdoughs with individual fantastic flavour and textures. Nice and chewy crusts with a well aerated and soft crumb inside of both. The raisin and walnut loaf was full of fruit and nuts encased in a sweet malty crumb, a very accomplished tea loaf. The clincher though was a delicious Brioche swirl with Parma ham and a nut free pesto, beautifully light and soft with a perfect crumb and excellent flavours. All the breads were accompanied with humorous descriptions of how they came to be made, showing the passion they have for the produce they bake so well.
Café/Restaurant of the Year at a Visitor Attraction
The Station Café, Richmond
SPONSORED BY: RICHMONDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL
The café just struck the right design and ambience for its setting, acknowledging its heritage but not overwhelmed by it. With excellent service, tasty food which took pride in its local provenance and staff knowledgeable about diets and allergies, it was a real pleasure to eat at The Station.
It was a really hard decision, with each having strong points and reasons to be shortlisted, but the overall package at the Station Cafe just edged it.
Customer Service Team of the Year
The Old Barn Coffee Shop, Balk, near Thirsk
SPONSORED BY: GRAND CENTRAL RAIL
We received a really pleasant greeting on arrival, the four staff were all smiley and engaging and all in uniform. We ordered delicious lemon drizzle and Malteser tiffin to share and a really nice touch was when the waitress noticed she offered us an extra plate. The coffee was excellent and the décor is clean and bright. Great for a visit even if you are not staying at the York House Holiday Park.
Locally Produced Beer of the Year
Bad Co Brewing & Distillery, Dishforth
SPONSORED BY: HAMBLETON ALES
All the beers they submitted were excellent, but the judge was really taken with 05-18, which is described as an “off tempo milkshake IPA”. It’s a crazy description, but this imaginative beer combines the rich body of traditional Yorkshire ale with the peach, grapefruit and pineapple flavours of a new-age India Pale Ale.
Young Professional Chef or Catering Student of the Year
Jack Baldwin
SPONSORED BY: NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
This young chef was methodical , well prepared and had done what all chefs have learnt to do, and his Mise en place – Advance presentation – was all that it should be. Great presentation of his finished dish, and the saucing was excellent The dish itself and its many components were thought to be a bit over ambitious, but made it a very impressive winner!
Darlington & Stockton Times Reader’s Choice Award
Masons Yorkshire Gin
Special Recognition Award
Shepherds Purse Cheeses
What the awards have meant to some of our previous winners
We are being approached for more diverse work and collaborations than before which is how we’d like our business to grow
Winning the Specialist Retailer of the Year at The Flavours of Herriot Country award was in our view the turning point for our business.
All I can say to anyone deciding to enter or not is, just do it, you never know, you might be a first time winner like us!!
Questions?
You should find all the answers to your questions on the Enter the Awards page… Or e-mail us using the form below.
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FLAVOURS OF HERRIOT COUNTRY AWARDS 2019
E-mail: info@flavoursofherriotcountryawards.com
CHAIR OF BOARD
Irene Myers, Irene Myers & Associates.
BOARD MEMBERS
Cllr Carl Les, Leader, North Yorkshire Country Council.
Ian Ashton, Chair, Herriot Country Tourism Group.
Charlotte Noone, Destination: Farm Shop.
Nigel Burton, Previously Development Director of Waitrose Ltd and board member at Abergavenny Food Festival.
David Shields, Area Director, Welcome to Yorkshire.
Malcolm Warne, Communications Officer, the office of Rishi Sunak MP.
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