Entries are now open

There are many awards in Yorkshire, but what makes The Flavours of Herriot Country Awards so well recognised and significant, is its sole focus on Hambleton and Richmondshire.

Now in its 8th year, we will again be shining the awards light on all the many outstanding, entrepreneurial and innovative food and drink businesses within the boundaries.

All the food and drink businesses in these areas are one of the reasons this part of Yorkshire is so special, and through the awards they will receive the acknowledgement they so rightly deserve.

The Awards entries open on Friday, May 30, and the easy to enter forms, all the category details, and other helpful information are on the web site: www.flavoursofherriotcountryawards.com 

The deadline closing date is midnight on Friday, August 30.

We will be looking for our food heroes over the next few weeks, from all the new business that have opened, as well as the well established ones, whatever size, to be recognised and celebrated at our Flavours of Herriot Country Awards event on Monday, December 2, 2019.

We have an independent panel of highly respected judges who are experts in the food and drink industry, headed by Chair of Judges Susie Brindley.

Our judges and mystery shoppers are all from a recognised range of impressive businesses:

Bettys. Delifresh – A recognised beer writer and respected author – An AfternoonTea connoisseur – A food writer. – Award winning restaurateurs – Excellence in Customer service/hospitality expert – And a Head of Visitor Experience.

We had such great celebrations last year, with all the very worthy winners from our 12 categories, now displaying their awards trophies with pride.

There are the 12 categories that will fit just about every food and drink business, and you can enter more than one category:

• Breakfast of the Year.
• Tea Room of the Year.
• Local Product of the Year.
• Specialist Retailer of the Year.
• Afternoon Tea of the Year.
• Pub Food of the Year.
• Restaurant of the Year.
• Baked Product of the Year.
• Cafe/Restaurant of the Year at a Visitor Attraction.
• Customer Service Team of the Year.
• Locally Produced Beer of the Year.
• Young Professional Chef or Catering Student of the Year (under 25).

The Reader’s Choice Award, sponsored by D&S Times, is a special category, as the public can vote for their favourite business from the list of finalists, which will be announced after close of entries.

Irene Myers, Chair of the Flavours Awards said: “It’s going to be a very exciting awards event this year, with some special guests joining us. And we are expecting a bumper record number of entries coming in. And again, we have some incredibly supportive sponsors involved with the awards. The feedback we have had from last year’s winners on what the awards have done for their businesses is what it’s all about.

“And we are absolutely thrilled and proud to have Middlesbrough College hosting and judging the Young Professional Chef or Catering Student of the year category, with Molly Shaher, Catering and Hospitality course leader/ Chair of PACE (Professional Association of Catering Education), and Frances Atkins, of the renowned Yorke Arms, one of the very few Michelin Starred chefs in the UK, and Jonathan Harrison, Roux Scholarship winner and chef/patron of award winning The Sandpiper, in Leyburn, North Yorkshire”

The awards will be presented by Elly Fiorentini – BBC Radio York Presenter

The awards event is on Monday, 2 December, 11am to 2.30pm. Hosted by, The Garden Rooms, Tennants, Leyburn. A stunning venue set in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

Tickets will go on sale when the finalists have been announced.