Submitted by Kath Hope
Following on from the hugely successful tenth anniversary awards’ celebration last autumn, entries are now open for the prestigious 2022 Food Drink Devon Awards, supported by 2022 platinum sponsor Partners&. The gold standard industry accolades, which celebrate Devon’s finest food and drink, recognise the county’s most talented producers and establishments and this year will also include the new ‘Chef of the Year’ category. The competition is open for entries until Friday 22nd April 2022, with applications welcome from Food Drink Devon members and non-members.
Greg Parsons, chair of Food Drink Devon comments: “We are delighted to be launching our 2022 Awards which are supported by our 2022 platinum sponsor Partners&. Partners& is an insurance advisory business with specialist knowledge in the food and beverage industry and offices across Devon. We are extremely pleased to have them on board and are looking forward to working closely with them.”
Awards this year include the ‘Producer Awards’ with ‘Product of the Year’ and, new for 2022, ‘Best New Product of the Year’ categories. The ‘Retail Awards’ include categories for ‘Best Retailer’ and ‘Best Online Retailer’, while the always highly sought-after hospitality section covers ‘Best Fine Dining Restaurant’, ‘Best Restaurant’, ‘Best Pub’, ‘Best Café or Tearoom’ and ‘Best Takeaway or Street Food’. In addition, every entrant will have the chance to win a silver, gold or platinum award with platinum awards representing a perfect score of 100%, gold awards recognising scores of 90-99%, and silver for those scoring 85-89%.
New for 2022, the ‘Chef of the Year’ award is open to any Head Chef or Sous Chef who lives and works in Devon. Greg explains: “The past decade has seen an explosion of talented chefs in our county, driving innovation and exceptional quality and championing local produce. We want to provide an opportunity for these individuals to compete against their peers to claim the title of the county’s ‘Chef of the Year’. Entrants will be required to create a three course meal celebrating Devon’s finest produce.”
Greg continues: “The success of the awards over the last 11 years is a testament to the region’s passion for outstanding food and drink. Devon boasts so many dynamic and innovative local producers and purveyors. The Food Drink Devon Awards give us the opportunity to recognise their success and contributions to the vibrant food and drink industry. We are constantly impressed by the breadth and standard of entries.”
Lee Davey, Managing Partner at Partners&, adds: “We are thrilled to be sponsoring the 2022 Food Drink Devon Awards. Partners& strives to be the best insurance advisory business in the UK and food and beverage is a key speciality area for us, so supporting these prestigious awards fits really well with our ethos.”
The Food Drink Devon Awards continue to grow, with 2021 recording the highest number of entries to date and a sell out black tie awards ceremony for over 250 guests. Each year judging for the awards is carried out by a panel of independent and unbiased experts including a number of celebrated names from the region. All results and winners are verified by an independent adjudicator, with entrants receiving the opportunity to benefit from invaluable product feedback provided by the panel. This year’s winners are due to be announced in October.
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.
Partners& is a Chartered insurance broker providing specialist insurance, employee benefits, risk management and claims advice to businesses and private clients. As a next generation insurance advisory business, Partners& combines the best traditions of broking, such as technical advice and client service, with modern thinking and intelligent use of technology, to enhance the client experience and create a dynamic workplace for its talented team.
To enter the competition visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk/awards/ or email [email protected]. For more information on Food Drink Devon visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk, follow @FoodDrinkDevon on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For more information on Partners& visit www.partnersand.com.
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