Taste of Gloucestershire Food & Farming Awards 2016

Last month I received a particularly exciting email confirming that I had made the cut and was a finalist in the Taste of Gloucestershire Food & Farming Awards 2016 for Young Foodie of The Year!

I'm not sure how many people entered the category, but having applied last year with no such luck, I'm super excited to have been shortlisted to the final three. Now, I'm not under any false presences here, my chances are pretty slim seeing as I'm up against the Sibling Distillery clan, and the maker of the best rapeseed oil around - Charlie Beldam from Cotswold Gold. However, where finalists (in every category) are just representing themselves as businesses/producers in the county, I'm in this slightly alternative situation where I'm somewhat representing everyone else. I frequent their establishments, buy their produce, regularly post photos on social media, share my experiences in blog posts, etc, etc… Perhaps in that respect I *might* have a chance… Who knows.

Whatever happens, I'll still be proud to have been a finalist, and I'm looking forward to the awards night on Tuesday 18th October at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse. Wish me luck!

If you want to buy tickets to the event - dinner sounds lovely - follow this link: tickets.

Here's the full list of Taste of Gloucestershire Finalists:

Best Community Pub

• The Weighbridge Inn
• Tiley’s Brewery/The Salutation Inn
• The Retreat

Best Eating Out Establishment

• Bhoomi Restaurant
• KIBOUsushi
• East India Cafe
• Prithvi

Best Independent Café

• Juicilicious
• Brew & Bake
• Montpellier Café

Best Local Producer

• The Forest Bakehouse
• The Artisan Kitchen

Butcher of the Year

• Andy Creese Butchers Ltd
• Jesse Smith
• Court Farm Shop

Chef of the Year

• Made By Bob, Bob Parkinson
• Purslane Restaurant, Gareth Fulford
• The Painswick Hotel, Michael Bedford

Farmer of the Year

• Ruscombe Farm Partnership, Rebecca Charley
• Court Farm, Simon Knight
• Barhouse Farm, Jenni Hobbs

Food or Drink Business of the Year

• Jolly Nice
• Cotswold Gold Ltd
• Gloucester Brewery

Local Food Retailer of the Year

• Jolly Nice
• Teddington Stores
• Jesse Smith Farm Shop & Cafe

Young Farmer of the Year

• Jack Griffiths
• Ellen Helliwell
• Sam Powell

Young Foodie of the Year

• Sibling Distillery, Felix, Clarice, Cicely and Digby
• Lucienne Simpson, Lucienne Simpson
• Cotswold Gold Ltd, Charlie Beldam

Outstanding Contribution to Food and Farming in Gloucestershire
To be announced on the evening