St Albans Food and Drink Awards 2023 – THE FINALISTS!
1) Restaurant of the Year – An establishment that is open most evenings serving multi-course meals to patrons dining on the premises. Will usually provide table service.
2) Best pub or bar – A place where you can drink without also eating (though they may also serve food). Judges will be looking for a great selection of drink including well-kept and properly served beers, wines and cocktails, with consideration also given to those providing an interesting range of non-alcoholic options.
3) Best Café – A less formal eating establishment open for much of the day, though not necessarily in the evenings, serving hot drinks and snacks, as well as meals, sometimes from a counter.
4) Best Food and Drink shop or Market Stall – A shop or stall selling groceries, fresh produce, ingredients or food mostly in an unprocessed or minimally processed state for use and consumption at home
5) Best takeaway or street food – A bricks-and-mortar establishment, a stall, trailer or food truck selling hot and cold prepared food for immediate consumption, but which provides only minimal seating for customers.
6) Best Local Producer – A business based in St Albans District that produces raw ingredients, or uses raw ingredients to create a fresh or ambient food or drink product which is sold in a variety of local (or national) outlets. Previous winners have included brewers, bakers, cider-makers, cheese producers, farmers etc.
7) Best newcomer – Any business in any of any of the above categories which has only been in operation since September 2019.
8) Kate D’Arcy Award for Customer Service – A special award in memory of Kate D’Arcy, a much loved restaurateur who died in June 2010. This award is for a person who has provided outstanding service and delivered a faultless experience. Previous winners include waiting staff, restaurant owners and local campaigners. Any individual can be nominated, whether or not a business with which they are associated is nominated in any of the above categories.
The winners will be announced on Monday 2nd October in a live broadcast from the awards ceremony event – listen to Hertfordshire’s Mix 92.6!
The winners of the St Albans Food and Drink Awards are decided using a three-step process: