Alex Brodie, who started Hawkshead Brewery in 2002, together with his wife, Anne, were the recipients of the night’s main award, for Outstanding Contribution to Cumbrian Food and Drink.
Alex, a former BBC foreign correspondent and radio news presenter, has overseen the development of the Staveley brewery into an award-winning nationally known business, with a popular brewery tap Beer Hall and a state-of-the-art brewhouse currently being built at Flookburgh.
It was a night of celebration for Cumbria’s food stars, with businesses from across the county recognised at the awards, held at Kendal College for the seventh year.
The host was the award-winning restaurant critic, journalist, author and broadcaster Jay Rayner, who announced the winners of 14 categories plus a number of special awards
The closely fought Chef of the Year Award was presented to Kevin Tickle of Forest Side at Grasmere, with runners up Hrishikesh Desai of Gilpin Hotel and Lake House at Windermere and Chris O’Callaghan of The Castle Dairy at Kendal.
Hrishikesh did take to the stage, however, to collect the Hotel Restaurant of the Year award for Hrishi, Gilpin’s Michelin-starred restaurant.
Major awards for the north of the county included Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year for Foxborough in Carlisle and Best Newcomer for Pentonbridge Inn near Longtown.
Awards for the county’s producers were given in association with Cumbria Life’s sister magazine Taste Cumbria, with Hawkshead Relish Company’s Black Garlic Ketchup being named Best New Product.
Special awards included the Taste Cumbria Food and Farming Award for Growing Well near Kendal, a charity which works with people experiencing mental health difficulties.
A Cumbria Life Special Award went to Graham Wilkinson, the principal of Kendal College who retires in May and who has overseen major successes in the college’s hospitality and catering department.
Kath and Liam Berney, owners of The Cottage in the Wood at Whinlatter, were recognised with a Judges’ Special Award and the Rising Star Award went to Matt Campbell, who rose to prominence on TV’s MasterChef: The Professionals .
Cumbria Life editor Richard Eccles said: “It was a fantastic evening and – win or lose – I hope everyone who was nominated is proud of what they’ve achieved. Thank you to Jay Rayner, our sponsors and all those who helped make the awards such a success.”
The awards, organised by CN Events, are held in partnership with Kendal College. The accountants, business and financial advisors Armstrong Watson are associate sponsor, North West food retailer Booths kindly provided the food for the awards dinner and Lakeland Vintners supplied the reception drinks.
The 2018 winners:
BEST SPECIALIST RETAILER
Black Hand Wine, Penrith
BEST DRINKS PRODUCER
Carvetii Coffee, Threlkeld
BEST FOOD PRODUCER
Ginger Bakers, Kendal
BEST NEW PRODUCT
Black Garlic Ketchup, Hawkshead Relish Company
BEST FOOD INITIATIVE
Kendal People’s Café
FOOD & DRINK PUB OF THE YEAR
The Wheatsheaf Inn, Brigsteer
DINING PUB OF THE YEAR
The Punch Bowl, Crosthwaite
CAFÉ OF THE YEAR
Chesters by the River, Skelwith Bridge
and
Homeground, Windermere
CASUAL DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Foxborough, Carlisle
CUMBRIA LIFE READERS’ AWARD
1863, Pooley Bridge
BEST NEWCOMER
Pentonbridge Inn, near Longtown
HOTEL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Hrishi, Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Windermere
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Lake Road Kitchen, Ambleside
CHEF OF THE YEAR
Kevin Tickle, The Forest Side, Grasmere
CUMBRIA LIFE SPECIAL AWARDS
TASTE CUMBRIA FOOD AND FARMING AWARD
Growing Well, near Kendal
CUMBRIA LIFE SPECIAL AWARD
Graham Wilkinson, principal, Kendal College
JUDGES’ SPECIAL AWARD
Kath and Liam Berney, owners of The Cottage in the Wood at Whinlatter
RISING STAR AWARD
Matt Campbell
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CUMBRIAN FOOD AND DRINK
Alex and Anne Brodie, Hawkshead Brewery
For full coverage of the awards evening, see the May issue of Cumbria Life, published on April 19
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