We asked you to nominate your Norfolk food and drink favourites - and you rose to the occasion. Now out team of expert judges has finished its deliberations and we can reveal the finalists in the 2024 Norfolk Food and Drink Awards. The 2024 Norfolk Food and Drink Awards are brought to you by Norfolk magazine in association with the Eastern Daily Press.We would like to thank all of our category sponsors, who make the awards possible: Benedicts, Caistor Hall, Castlemeadow Care, Hotel School at City College Norwich, Jarrolds, Motorvogue DS Store Norwich, Newman Refrigeration and The Gin Trap Inn.
We would also like to thank our panel of judges who have done such a brilliant job of selecting the shortlist: Alex Clare, Alex Larter, Celia Holt, Colin Kiddell, Eric Snaith, James Ramm, Justin Unsworth, Lucy Cousins, Nick De'Ath, Oliver Trezise, Samantha Mattocks, Sarah Savage, Stacia Briggs, Zena Leech-Calton and Veronique Ananou.
The winners will be revealed at the 2024 Norfolk Food and Drink Awards night at Caistor Hall Hotel, at Caistor St Edmund near Norwich on Monday, September 16. Guests will enjoy a delicious meal, with beer by Woodforde's and wine supplied by our drinks partner Booker and Makro. Following dinner, there will be a short comedy set by local comedian Martin Westgate, who will also host the awards ceremony. Each guest will leave with a bag full of Norfolk produce. An opportunity for Norfolk food and drink businesses to put their products in front of 250 influential figures in Norfolk's food and drink scene, get in touch via the website norfolkfada.co.uk if you're a producer who is interested in getting involved.
Without further ado, here are the finalists...
FIELD TO FORK
Sponsored by Hotel School at City College Norwich
• Barsham Brewery, West Barsham
• Mrs Temples Cheese, Wighton
• Old Hall Farm, Woodton
• The Kings Head Inn, Brooke
BEST COFFEE SHOP/CAFÉ
• Danomeys, Norwich
• Heydon Village Tea Room, Heydon
• Lime Kiln Kitchen, Kilverston
• Salhouse Farmshop & Café (Black Barn Farm), Salhouse
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Benedicts
• L’Hexagone Bistro Français, Norwich
• Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall, Caistor St Edmund
• The Last, Norwich
• The Steam Packet, Norwich
FOOD AND DRINK RETAILER
Sponsored by Newman Refrigeration
• Algy’s Farm Shop, Bintree
• Church Farm Shop, Hethersett
• The Norfolk Delicatessen, Hunstanton
• Willow Tree Delicatessen, Wroxham Barns
BEST NEWCOMER
• BUN X, Norwich
• Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall, Caistor St Edmund
• The Grain Kitchen, Roudham
• The Steam Packet, Norwich
FRONT OF HOUSE EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Caistor Hall
• Bishop’s Dining Room & Wine Bar, Norwich
• SugarBeat Eating House, Swainsthorpe
• Titchwell Manor Hotel, Titchwell
• Wells Crab House Seafood Restaurant, Wells-next-the-Sea
PUB/BAR OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by The Gin Trap Inn
• The Carpenters Arms, Wighton
• The Fox at Lyng
• The Gamekeeper, Old Buckenham
• The Kings Head, Letheringsett
CHEF OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Motorvogue DS Store Norwich
• Mortimer Fraser – The Last, Norwich
• Thomas Aubrit – L’Hexagone Bistro, Norwich
• Barry Wood – Bishops Dining Room & Wine Bar, Norwich
• Mark Poynton – Mark Poynton at Caistor Hall, Caistor St Edmund
BEST NORFOLK PRODUCER
Sponsored by Jarrolds
• Barsham Brewery, West Barsham
• Chet Valley Vineyard, Bergh Apton
• Mrs Temples Cheese, Wighton
• Old Hall Farm, Woodton
FOOD/ DRINK EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Castlemeadow Care
• Love Norwich Food & Drink Walking Tours
• Rocky Bottoms, West Runton
• The Maids Head Hotel, Norwich
• Yalm, Norwich
STREET FOOD VENDOR
• The Bodega
• The Chocolate Bar Baker
• The Durban Grill
• Yellow Door Eats
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The winner of this award will be announced at the awards ceremony on Monday, September 16.