Following on from the hugely successful awards’ celebration last autumn, entries are now open for the esteemed 2024 Food Drink Devon Awards. The gold standard industry accolades celebrate the very best Devon has to offer, recognising the county’s most respected, influential and passionate artisan food and drink producers and establishments.
Entries close on Monday 15th April, with applications welcome from both Food Drink Devon members and non-members. This year’s winners will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony on Monday 7th October.
Categories for this year’s eminent awards include the ‘Producer Awards’ with the ‘Food Product of the Year’, ‘Drink Product of the Year’ and ‘Best New Product of the Year’, all guaranteed to be fiercely contested. The ‘Retail Awards’ include categories for ‘Best Retailer’ and ‘Best Online Retailer’, while the sought-after ‘Hospitality Awards’, cover ‘Chef of the Year’, ‘Best Fine Dining Restaurant’, ‘Best Restaurant’, ‘Best Hotel Restaurant’, ‘Best Pub’, ‘Best Café’ and ‘Best Takeaway or Street Food’, plus ‘Best Training School’ and the hugely popular, ‘Sustainability Pioneer Award’.
In addition, every entrant will have the chance to win a silver, gold or platinum award. Platinum awards represent a perfect score of 100%, gold awards recognise scores of 90-99% and silver, 85-89%.
Greg Parsons, chair of Food Drink Devon, says: “This year the 2024 awards’ ceremony will focus on sustainability, one of the three underpinning principles of Food Drink Devon alongside quality and provenance. Throughout the ceremony we’ll be showcasing producers with strong and effective sustainable activities, shining a light on those that go the extra mile to be environmentally friendly and using many of their ingredients in the dishes we serve and enjoy during the evening.”
Greg, continues: “Over the past 12 years the Food Drink Devon Awards have gone from strength to strength. Their success is a testament to the region’s passion for creating outstanding food and drink and we’re proud the awards provide the opportunity to recognise those producers, retailers and hospitality establishments who are really making a difference.”
2023 saw the Food Drink Devon Awards receive the highest number of entries to date with a sell-out black tie awards ceremony attended by over 440 guests.
Judging for the awards is carried out by a panel of independent and unbiased experts including a number of celebrated names from the region. Judging is conducted blind with all product labels obscured and hospitality and retail judging taking place anonymously. After a rigorous and considered judging process, all results are verified by an independent adjudicator. This year, as an additional perk, entrants will receive their full feedback report at no extra cost providing valuable and constructive information which entrants can use to help their business grow.
Food Drink Devon is committed to increasing the county’s profile, both nationally and internationally and represents a membership of Devon’s leading food and drink producers, retailers, hospitality venues and related businesses dedicated to serving up the best produce from the county. With a focus on quality, sustainability and provenance, Food Drink Devon’s aim is to support and promote their members and raise Devon’s culinary profile as a whole. Look out for their green heart logo which is carried by over 350 producers and businesses across Devon.
To enter the awards visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk/awards/ or email admin@fooddrinkdevon.co.uk. For more information on Food Drink Devon visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk or follow @FoodDrinkDevon on X, Facebook and Instagram.
