Region’s Food & Drink companies invited to enter prestigious awards

Food and drink companies from across the Northwest are being invited to enter the fifth annual Food Northwest Awards and the Fine Food Northwest Awards 2010.

Organised by Food Northwest, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) cluster organisation set up to lead the food and drink industry, and to help to grow the Northwest regional economy, the Food Northwest Awards celebrate the successes of businesses across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

They acknowledge companies from all areas of the industry, from farm to fork, including food retail and service, wholesale, distribution, food processing and agriculture. This year’s awards will focus on the theme ‘Fabulous Food’ and will highlight the diversity, energy, enthusiasm and sheer hard work of companies excelling in their sector, across the Northwest. The winners will be announced at a Gala Awards dinner, hosted by Lucy Meacock of ITN and Granada TV, on Thursday June 24, 2010, at Manchester’s Midland Hotel.

This year’s Fine Food Northwest Awards, which recognise the best fine foods in the region, will be judged by the region’s top chefs and food experts in early June, with the ten winners battling it out in two fine food categories in the overall Food Northwest Awards.

Last year there were over 400 fine food entries with Cheshire-based winners including Tarvin restaurant bar and delicatessen, The Gunnery, which was named winner of the ‘prepared meals’ category for its game pie. Eddisbury Fruit Farm in Kelsall won the fine foods ‘beverages’ category with its Cheshire Cider.

Mrs Kirkham’s Lancashire Cheese was named winner of the ‘’dairy’ category in the Fine Food Northwest Awards 2009, for its Mrs Kirkham’s Tasty Lancashire. Master butcher, Kevin Berkins, who runs The Eagle at Barrow in Clitheroe and The Fence Gate Inn near Burnley, won the ‘sausages’ category for his leek and black pudding sausages.

Pat Foreman, chief executive of Food Northwest, said: “We were delighted with the response to last year’s awards and once again, we are looking forward to receiving a high calibre of entries from across the Northwest in both our business and fine food awards. This year we are celebrating all of the ‘fabulous food’ that this region is home to – from big, well-known brands through to small, local and speciality producers.”

The Northwest has one of the largest food and drink sectors in the UK, contributing £9.5 billion to the local economy, employing over 450,000 people and providing almost 12 per cent of the region’s income. The sector has been identified by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, (NWDA) as a priority growth sector within the Regional Economic Strategy.

Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said: “In the challenging economic climate, it is more important than ever to recognise the achievements and successes of our regional businesses. These awards are a valuable opportunity to showcase the innovative work that is being carried out by food and drink companies in the Northwest, which continue to make a vital contribution to the ongoing growth of this key sector.”

Entry to the Food Northwest Awards 2010 is free and businesses have the chance to submit online applications in eleven categories at www.foodnw.co.uk Organisations can nominate themselves, or be nominated by another party. Entries to the Fine Food Northwest Awards 2010 can be submitted at the same address.

The closing date for all award entries is April 30, 2010.