The Folly Inn at Towcester took the Restaurant of the Year Award at the ninth annual Carlsberg Food and Drink Awards dinner in Northampton on Wednesday. The Folly took the award, sponsored by Whitco, ahead of runners-up and previous winners The Tap & Kitchen in Oundle.

Whitco’s Vita Whitaker said; “The standard of food and drink continues to rise in our county and the awards play a great role in driving the improvements. Northamptonshire has an impressive and growing reputation for the quality of its hospitality industry.”

The Folly is a traditional thatched inn with parts of the building dating back to the seventeenth century. Head chef David Horak sources local ingredients where possible and uses them in imaginative dishes based on great British classics with a contemporary twist.

Sadly absent from the proceedings was Antonio Carluccio OBE who passed away just a week before being due to follow in the footsteps of chefs Marcus Wareing, Jason Atherton and Michel Roux OBE as the evening’s special guest.

It was therefore appropriate that the event began with a toast to the man known as the ‘Godfather of Italian cooking’ led by food journalist William Sitwell before the formal welcome from Awards Director, Rachel Mallows.

 

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

Artisan Local Drink of the Year

• Triple ‘F’ Pure Apple Juice – Floyers’ Fruit Farm, Flore

 

New Local Drink of the Year

• Burnt Ox Blood – Nobby’s Brewing Company, Thrapston

 

Artisan Local Savoury Product of the Year

• Northamptonshire Blue – Hamm Tun Fine Foods, Hannington

 

Artisan Local Sweet Product of the Year

• Honey, Lemon and Ginger Marmalade – Nature’s Fayre, Thrapston

 

One To Watch

• Ganders Goat, Cottingham & Towcester Mill Brewery, Towcester

 

Farming Innovation Award

• Mee Farmers, Nassington

 

Healthy Eating Workplace of the Year

• Weatherbys Ltd, Wellingborough

 

Independent Café / Tea Room of the Year

• Workbridge Coffee Shop, Northampton

 

Spice Restaurant of the Year

• The Exotic Dining, Kettering

 

Restaurant of the Year

• The Folly, Towcester

 

Booker Food Pub of the Year

• The Hopping Hare, Northampton

 

Great Service Award

• The Folly, Towcester

 

Chef of the Year

• Richard Walker – Fawsley Hall Hotel, Fawsley

 

Booker Young Chef of the Year

• Winner: Victoria Austin – Highgate House, Creaton

 

Community Pub of the Year

• The Dukes Arms, Woodford

 

Weetabix Local Food Hero of the Year

• Steve Reid of Friars Farm, Northampton

 

F&B Achiever of the Year

• Tom Warner and Christina Warner-Keogh – Warner Edwards, Harrington

 

Chairman’s Award

• Alaric Neville – Phipps NBC, Northampton