The team behind the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards have announced this week that the competition in now underway for its twelfth year.

The Awards are aimed at celebrating all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the county's dining venues, and rewarding those who work so hard within the Northamptonshire culinary sector.

The competition sees two new categories for this year; the 'Weetabix Sustainability Award' and 'Food and Drink College Student of the Year' (sponsored by Moulton College), which will celebrate college students from across Northamptonshire who have demonstrated exceptional skills development throughout their learning and who are proud young ambassadors for the sector.

The official launch of the competition was due to take place at Weetabix's headquarters in Burton Latimer during the first week in April, but was postponed due to COVID-19, allowing the team to focus their efforts on extra business support for the county's food and drink sector.

The free-to-enter categories in this year's Awards (with their respective sponsors) are:

•     Artisan Local Drink of the Year
•     Artisan Local Product of the Year (Heygates Flour and Animal Feed)
•     Artisan Local Vegetarian / Vegan
•     Product of the Year (Daily Bread)
•     Booker Eatery of the Year (Booker)
•     Booker Young Chef of the Year (Booker)
•     Chef of the Year (Dawn Farms)
•     F&B Achiever of the Year (Howes Percival LLP)
•     Food and Drink College Student of the Year (Moulton College)
•     Local Food Hero of the Year (Northampton College)
•     One to Watch (Whitworth Bros. Ltd Flour Millers)
•     Weetabix Sustainability Award (Weetabix)
•     World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year (British Pepper & Spice)

The results of the competition, which will see finalists awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze for this adapted twelfth year only, will be announced at the Awards celebration in November.

For more details, including downloading entry and nomination forms, please visit the Awards' website - www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk or call Rachel Mallows on 01933 664437 or email [email protected].

You can also follow the Awards on Facebook at @foodawards or Twitter and Instagram at @foodawardsHQ or on LinkedIn at @weetabixnfadawards.