Devon Life Food & Drink Awards 2012 - View categories and criteria

By Rebecca Coulson on August 12th 2011

Devon Life Food & Drink Awards 2012 has 15 categories, here they are with their criteria.

Best Restaurant of the Year

The winner of the category will be the restaurant that – in the judges’ opinion – offers the best dining experience.  It’s not just that it serves the most delicious and well-cooked food. Everything from the décor, the service, the food, the wine list and those little finishing touches that make dining such a pleasure, will be judged for this prestigious award.

Best Drinks Product of the Year

This is your opportunity to nominate your favourite drink – made by a Devon farm producer, retailer or manufacturer.  Consider the innovativeness of the item and whether this was achieved without compromising on its taste, indulgence and value for money.

Best Community Pub of the Year

An opportunity to acknowledge your local, where faces are familiar and the barman knows your name (and your favourite tipple!). Consider how well the establishment uses local suppliers and seasonal produce. Do local juices, wines, beers and cheese appear on the menu? Also note the quality and speed of the service, the overall atmosphere and ambience both inside and outside – from cosy lounges with open fires to child-friendly gardens with vegetable patches.

Best Farmers' Market of the Year

To judge one farmers’ market from another you really need to have visited a few. Look out for overall presentation of the market, the arrangement of stalls and entertainment and whether it has built upon the needs of consumers and capitalised on the diversity of the region’s local food and drink supply chain. It may even be a new market with only a few stalls that has established itself during the last year. We want to know whether you can taste before you buy and how knowledgeable and happy the stallholders are.

New Enterprise / Innovation of the Year

This category is open to small-scale businesses with staff of maximum 3 persons. It could be a forager, mobile enterprise, smoker, baker, cake baker etc.  The business must have been established within the last 18 months.

Best Food Producer of the Year

Open to anyone who produces food from milk, vegetables or produces pies or pickles! We are looking for companies or individuals who connect with their communities and use good quality ingredients to provide an excellent finished product.

Best Tearoom / Coffee Shop of the Year

We recognise that tea shops and coffee shops are an integral part of the Devon food and drink scene and we’d like to know your favourites.  Who makes the best tea or coffee? Is it tea bags or leaves? Is it instant or freshly ground? Who serves the nicest cakes or the best scones? Is the jam homemade and are the sandwiches freshly cut? We’re looking forward to hearing about your favourites.

Best Baker / Confectioner of the Year

The most important factor in this category is the variety and freshness of products available.  We need to know quality of ingredients, taste, texture, flavour and crust! Also take a close look at what range of goods is offered.

Best Butcher / Meat Producer of the Year

Consider asking your butcher how their meat is hung, prepared and cut and whether it can be traced to a local farm.  Are the staff knowledgeable and helpful? Does the butcher play a key role within the local community? If so, we want to hear from you!

Best Dining Pub of the Year

The whole eating out experience needs to be taken into account in this category. Judge customer service, value for money and the quality of the food. How well does the establishment use and name local suppliers and seasonal produce? Is there a distinctive menu which gives stand-alone restaurants a run for their money?

Best Fishmonger of the Year

Consider asking your fishmonger where their fish is caught, how fresh the fish is and whether it can be traced to a local fisherman. Are the staff knowledgeable and helpful? Does the fishmonger play a key role within the local community? If so, we want to hear from you!

Best Independent Food Shop of the Year

Vote for your favourite local food shop in this category, look out for establishments that genuinely supply items produced and grown here in Devon. This food shop must have a genuine passion for our Devon food scene and a dedication to what it means for the local community.

Best Chef of the Year

The chef of the year is someone who has devoted themselves to the cause of serving the best possible food. Technical ability, use of seasonal ingredients, presentation of the food and understanding of how flavours work together, these are some of the things the chefs nominated will be judged on. This category pits the finest Michelin-starred chefs against those working the local bistro.

Best School Food Award

You may work at or have children or grandchildren who attend schools in Devon which really value the importance of nutrition and uphold excellent standards of both food and vending. The school must also promote food within the curriculum; perhaps offering cookery clubs, farm visits and taster days. The head teacher in partnership with parents, governors, teachers, local businesses and young people should all be involved.

2012 Devon Food Hero

Devon has a food scene which is more vibrant than many others across the UK. This category wishes to celebrate the individual who has made the most impact on food community – someone who goes the extra mile to make a difference to our lives. It could be a local celebrity, journalist, critic, passionate radio presenter or may be a waiter in your favourite restaurant. Now is your chance to nominate your Devon Food Hero.

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