The very best restaurants, cafes, pubs, chefs and producers have been recognised at the Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2023, which took place on Monday, September 18 at Yalm in Norwich.
A fantastic range of businesses were recognised across the 12 categories, from a New York-inspired sandwich shop on Norwich Market to a family-run distillery. You can see all the winners below.
It was an extra special celebration, as the evening saw the welcome return of this well-deserved awards ceremony. The last event took place in 2019, and a lot has happened since then, especially with the impact of Covid-19.
But what could have been the end of our wonderful hospitality sector might just have been the making of it. The innovation of that 18 months or so was incredible, and the Norfolk Food and Drink Awards 2023 were a fantastic celebration of this thriving industry.
The awards night was hosted by Karl Minns, one half of the Nimmo Twins, and guests enjoyed a delicious dinner from the vendors at Yalm, beer from Duration Beer and wine and prosecco from Hallgarten.
Guests also received a goody bag of wonderful Norfolk food and drink produce, and there was an after party at Dicks Bar for those who wanted to carry on celebrating.
We couldn’t have held these awards without the support of Bread Hospitality and all our sponsors, including headline sponsor Alliance East Anglia.
“What an incredible evening - the Norfolk food and drink Awards is well and truly back with a bang,” said Herman van den Berg, general manager of Alliance East Anglia. “We feel so privileged to have been part of such a glamourous and special event. Many congratulations again to all the nominees and winners.”
Don’t miss our winners supplement in the Eastern Daily Press on Friday, September 22, when we’ll bring you all the details about the businesses that took the top spots.
![Eastern Daily Press: A wide range of food and drink businesses were recognised across the 12 categories]( "Eastern Daily Press: A wide range of food and drink businesses were recognised across the 12 categories")
A wide range of food and drink businesses were recognised across the 12 categories (Image: Matt Potter Photography and Videography)
THE WINNERS:
BEST COFFEE SHOP/CAFÉ
Sponsored by Castlemeadow Care
Winner: Danomeys
FIELD TO FORK
Sponsored by Hotel School at City College Norwich
Winner: Montys Mustards and Chutneys
CHEF OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by The Gunton Arms
Winner: Gareth Rayner – The Gin Trap Inn
BEST NEWCOMER
Sponsored by Bread Source
Winner: The Bodega
FRONT OF HOUSE EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Brasted’s
Winner: Benedicts
PUB/BAR OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by The Gin Trap Inn
Winner: Kings Head Bawburgh
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by VENI Project
Winner: Benedicts
BEST NORFOLK PRODUCER
Sponsored by Flour and Bean
Winner: Black Shuck Distillery
STREET FOOD VENDOR
Winner: The Cabin
FOOD AND DRINK RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Winner: Hirst’s Farm Shop & Cafe
FOOD/DRINK EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by The Chestnut Group
Winner: The Assembly House
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Sponsored by Alliance East Anglia
Winner: Richard Hughes, The Assembly House Norwich
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