JULES Hudson, presenter of the BBC’s Escape to the Country, who has recently moved to Herefordshire, revealed the winners of the prestigious Flavours of Herefordshire Awards 2013 at a special awards dinner.

A total of 11 winners were announced at the event at Lyde Court, with bronze, silver and gold awards made to the winners in each category of the Flavours of Herefordshire awards.

Among the categories were Best Steak, Young Chef, Best Food and Drink Product, Champion Herefordshire Cider, Herefordshire Food and Drink Ambassador, Herefordshire Food and Drink Prodigy, Simply Herefordshire and Gourmet Herefordshire.

Gold in the Gourmet Herefordshire category was taken by The Mill Race in Walford near Ross-on-Wye, adding to an impressive collection of existing awards, including the Flavours of Herefordshire Gastro Pub of the Year accolade in 2009.

The Mill Race also took a silver award in the Simply Herefordshire category with a stuffed lamb breast and has kindly shared the recipe with Hereford Times readers – see right.

“The awards dinner was a great success, with excellent food in a lovely setting,” said Helen Thomas, managing director of Westons and vice-chairman of Visit Herefordshire.

To celebrate the success of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations last year, the winners’ plaques were made from oak used to make The Hereford Bull – the replica Wye trow which joined the Jubilee river pageant down the Thames to represent the county.

“The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations were tremendous throughout the county last year, and it seemed fitting to commission the plaques from artisan craftsmen using the same materials,” explained Sally-Ann Roberts, managing director of Visit Herefordshire.

The Flavours of Herefordshire Awards, now in their 14th year, celebrate the best of food and drink in the county, and aim to recognise and award not only local restaurants, pubs, hotels, cafes and bed and breakfasts who use and promote local products, but also the producers themselves.

For more information, go to flavoursofhereford shire.co.uk.

THE WINNERS

 

  • Steak  - GOLD: White Haywood Farm Restaurant, Craswall; GOLD: Glyn Slade Jones, Kington
  • Young Chef In Industry - WINNER: Thomas Evans, the Sun Inn, Winforton.
  • Young Chef In Training - JOINT WINNERS: Kelly Tipton and Benjamin Dean, Herefordshire College of Technology Herefordshire.
  • Drink (non cider) -  GOLD: Townsend Farm Pure Apple Juice, Bosbury GOLD: Discovery Juice, Once Upon a Tree, Putley, Ledbury
  • Food - GOLD: Fresh Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables, Court Farm and Leisure, Tillington GOLD: 21-day dry aged carvery rib of pedigree Herefordshire beef, Neil Powell Butchers, Ewyas Harold.
  • Drink (Cider) -  GOLD: Blenheim Superb, Once Upon a Tree, Putley GOLD: Marcle Ridge, Once Upon a Tree, Putley GOLD: Carpenters Croft, Once Upon a Tree, Putley, Ledbury.
  • Simply Herefordshire - GOLD: The Three Horseshoes Inn, Little Cowarne, Bromyard GOLD: The Old Rectory, Cradley GOLD: Walford Court, Walford, near Leintwardine.
  • Gourmet Herefordshire - GOLD: The Mill Race, Walford, near Ross-on-Wye.
  • Herefordshire Food and Drink Prodigy - Katie Rolfe, Trumpet Corner Art Studios and Tea Room, Parkhold Cottage, Trumpet.
  • Herefordshire Food and Drink Ambassador -  Anthony Legge, Legges of Bromyard.
  • Herefordshire Food and Drink Ambassador - Jo Hilditch, British Cassis Whittern Farms, Lyonshall.