TV chef and Hairy Biker Dave Myers said the county’s food and drink stars are “simply the best” as he hosted the first Cumbria Food Awards.
Dave was at Kendal College for the event when some of the county’s best known chefs, restaurateurs and business owners were recognised.
He told the audience that as a proud Cumbrian, it was brilliant to be part of so much success. Achievements such as Michelin stars fed down to the whole industry, including producers.
“In Cumbria, the world is already our cockle,” he joked. “I love being part of this, I’m proud to be the Cumbrian bloke who cooks on the telly.
He added that he’d been “overwhelmed personally” to be back in the county and to see how the industry had developed and achieved global significance.
Simon Rogan, who has just received a third Michelin star for his flagship restaurant, L’Enclume at Cartmel, was presented with the evening’s top award for Outstanding Contribution.
He’s marking 20 years in Cumbria this year and the award organisers felt that the combination of his commitment to sustainability, hyper local food, excellence, determination to push forward and his promotion of Cumbria all over the world was worthy of the evening’s top award.
Video messages for Simon ended with a tribute from his friend and former colleague, Jean-Christophe Novelli. The French TV chef said he’d marked Simon out for great things from their first days of working together in the mid-1990s but that his friend had far outstripped his predictions.
After receiving the award, Simon told the 150 guests: “I don’t think my ticker can take much more than this, there’s been some major surprises in the last few weeks. It’s been a long journey and the last few weeks have been extraordinary.
“After all the hard times we’ve had over the last couple of years, for me, not being able to travel and being in Cartmel with my team has just been the icing on the cake and I think that’s really got us home this year.”
Praising his colleagues in Cumbria, London and Hong Kong, he added: “It’s an honour to work alongside my team.”
Before the awards were announced, 50 students from Kendal College, one of the country’s leading providers of hospitality training, cooked and served a three-course dinner for the finalists, sponsors and special guests, with food provided by northern grocer Booths and drinks by Lakeland Vintners. The event was in association with headline sponsor Caterite.
The Restaurant of the Year Award was closely fought but in the end, it was the memorable cooking by chef Ben Wilkinson of Keswick’s The Cottage in the Wood that clinched it, ahead of Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume and The Lounge on the Green at Houghton near Carlisle.
The Cottage in the Wood also produced the Rising Star winner, as pastry chef Katherine Altham received the special award presented by Kendal College, in recognition of her achievements and potential.
The Rogan stable didn’t go away empty handed, however, as they clinched Innovation of the Year for Simon Rogan at Home.
Tom Barnes, executive chef for Simon’s restaurants in the North West was named Chef of the Year and Henrock, the Rogan restaurant at Windermere’s Linthwaite House Hotel won Hotel Restaurant of the Year.
The independent and free-to-enter awards were launched last summer with the aim of recognising and celebrating excellence in the county’s food and drink sector and to give the industry a reason to celebrate after such a challenging period.
Nearly 500 nominations and business entries were received, which were whittled down to 39 finalists across 13 categories by a panel of independent judges.
Cumbria Food Awards winners
Food Producer of the Year
Sponsored by H&H Group
Lovingly Artisan, Kendal
Drinks Producer of the Year
Sponsored by Cranstons
Lakes Brew Co, Kendal
Specialist Food Retailer of the Year
Sponsored by Hawkshead Relish
Tebay Services
Street Food Seller of the Year
Sponsored by Lakes Cottages
Yard 46, Kendal
Pub, Bar or Taproom of the Year
Sponsored by L+M Events
The Factory Tap, Kendal
Café of the Year
Sponsored by Cumbria Crack
Harry’s at Yew Tree Barn, Low Newton
Casual Dining Venue of the Year
Sponsored by Lakeland Vintners
The Yan at Broadrayne, Grasmere
Newcomer of the Year
Sponsored by The Westmorland Family
Heft, High Newton
Innovation of the Year
Sponsored by Cartmell Shepherd
Home by Simon Rogan
Dining Pub of the Year
Sponsored by Lamont Pridmore
The Black Swan, Ravenstonedale
Hotel Restaurant of the Year
Sponsored by Shortridge
Henrock, Windermere
Chef of the Year
Sponsored by Lakeland Inns
Tom Barnes, Executive Chef, Simon Rogan Restaurants in the North West
Restaurant of the Year
Sponsored by More? The Artisan Bakery
The Cottage in the Wood, Keswick
Special awards
Eco Business Innovator of the Year
Sponsored by Eco-I North West
Lakeland Brewhouse, Ulverston
Rising Star
Sponsored by Kendal College
Katherine Altham, The Cottage in the Wood, Keswick
Outstanding Contribution
Sponsored by Caterite
Simon Rogan
