The long-awaited shortlist of finalists for the 2017 Food & Drink Devon Awards has been announced, following months of blind tasting, deliberation and judging. Entries from across the county included 250 products, 63 producers, 65 hospitality and 25 retail establishments, all judged by experts from the industry. The winners will be revealed at a prestigious ceremony at the stunning Deer Park Country House Hotel on Monday 9th October.  

Commenting on the high standard of this year's awards entries, Barbara King, Chair of Food & Drink Devon, says: “As an organisation we champion Devon's producers and food and drink industry.  We have been seriously impressed with everything entered this year.  We have so much outstanding produce on offer here in Devon and the quality of hospitality across the board is second to none.” Barbara continues: “We would also like to thank our award sponsors for all their support.” The 2017 sponsors are Luscombe Drinks, Raw PR & Marketing, Peplows, M C Kelly, Black & White Asset Finance, Stephens Scown, Zip Water, Tastebuds, Inkreadible and Hedgerow Print.

In celebration of Devon's best produce, Platinum awards will be given to any of the 250 tasted products given a perfect score of 100%, Gold awards go to products achieving 90-99%, and Silver to those scoring 85-89%.  

There's enormous variety this year on the producer shortlist for the Taste of Devon Product award, with everything from shellfish to rare breed meats, artisan spirits and craft beers, ice creams from both North and South Devon plus traditional Christmas puddings represented.

“As customers get all the more discerning, choosing provenance and traceability over mass-produced food and drink, our independent shops and businesses can really shine,” continues Barbara. “Ultimately that is why it is so important we all support our local fishermen, farmers, delis, cafés, chefs and artisans.”

Newly established business Pretty Local takes on two well-known businesses Eversfield Organic and Riverford Organic Farmers in the category for Best Online Retailer.  Best Retailer will be awarded to one of Ashburton Delicatessen, Aune Valley Meat or North Devon's Besshill Farm Shop.  Producers on the Best Packaging shortlist are Bell & Loxton, Hanlons Brewery, Hunt's Cider and Salcombe Distilling Co and the shortlist for the Best Overall Producer includes Devon Distillery, Lyme Bay Winery, Salcombe Distilling and Sharpham Wine & Cheese.

Establishments on the Taste of Devon Hospitality shortlist include Boringdon Hall, Old Vienna and Thurlestone Hotel for Best Fine Dining Restaurant. Vying for Best Restaurant status is Barnstaple's Fat Belly Freds, Il Casita in Crediton and the Pig & Pallet in Exeter. Other categories include Best Hotel Restaurant, Pub Restaurant, Pub, Bistro and Best Café categories, there are three businesses hoping to win Best Street Food:  Open Sesame, the Glorious Oyster and the Teign Canteen.

Businesses on the shortlist list for this year's new categories Best Farmers Market and Best Cookery School include: Crediton, Tavistock and Totnes Farmers Markets and Ashburton and Exeter Cookery Schools and Salcombe Distilling.

For a full list of those on the shortlist please visit http://www.foodanddrinkdevon.co.uk/awards/2017-award-winners-shortlist

The movers and makers of Devon's food and drink industry will attend the black-tie awards ceremony to find out who the winners are for each category which will be hosted by food and drink broadcaster and BBC Radio 2's Nigel Barden. The evening will include a drinks reception, a three-course meal created using produce from Food & Drink Devon members and presentation of the awards, followed by an 'after show' party in the bar area with cheese & biscuits for all those wanting to stay a little while longer!  – all the ingredients for a fabulous night on Monday 9th October 2017 at the Deer Park Country House Hotel starting at 6.45pm.

Award ceremony tickets cost £60 per person and are on sale until 5pm on Friday 22nd September. To book, please contact Ali Neagle on 07789 666064 or email awards@foodanddrinkdevon.co.uk.  For more information, please visit www.foodanddrinkdevon.co.uk and follow @lovetheflavour on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

ENDS

Notes to the editor:

1. Food & Drink Devon was founded with the aim of representing like-minded businesses dedicated to producing food and drink of the very highest quality. The Food & Drink Devon association is committed to continuously achieving its mission – to make 'Love The Flavour' a nationally recognised brand for outstanding sustainable food and drink.
   

Food & Drink Devon Awards Shortlist 2017

Taste of Devon Product category shortlist

Ashridge Cider	Bays Brewery	Bell & Loxton
Black Tor Brewery	Buckfast Organics Clives Pies	Burts Chips
Chocolate Heaven made in Devon	Chunk of Devon	Churston Traditional Farm Shop
Clearwater Brewery	Continental Crumbs	Crankhouse Coffee
Dartmoor Brewery	Dartmoor Chilli Farm	Dartmoor Distillery
Devon Distillery	Ebb Tides	Eversfield Organic
Favis of Salcombe	Hanlons Brewery	Happy Butter
Hunters Brewery	Hunts Cider	Lizzy's Larder
Luscombe Drinks	Lyme Bay Winery	New Lion Brewery
Otter Garden Centres	Rocks Drinks	Rookbeare Farm
Ruths Real Food	Sabine Macarons	Salcombe Dairy
Salcombe Distilling Co	Sharpham Wine & Cheese	South Devon Chilli Farm
South Hams Brewery	Summerskills Brewery	Tideford Organic Foods
Tom's Pies	Waterhouse Fayre	Well Hung Meat Co
Yarde Cider

Best Packaging category shortlist

Bell & Loxton

Hanlons Brewery

Hunt's Cider

Salcombe Distilling

Overall Best Producer category shortlist

Devon Distillery

Lyme Bay Winery

Salcombe Distilling

Sharpham Wine & Cheese

Taste of Devon Hospitality category shortlist

Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Boringdon Hall, Plymouth

                                           Old Vienna Restaurant, Torquay

                                           Thurlestone Hotel, Kingsbridge

Best Restaurant:   Fat Belly Freds, Barnstaple

                            Il Casita, Crediton

                            The Pig & Pallet, Exeter

Best Hotel Restaurant: Kentisbry Grange, Barnstaple

                                  Prince Hall Hotel, Princetown

                                  South Sands Hotel, Salcombe

Best Pub Restaurant:  The Anchor Inn, Ivybridge

                                 The Pig on the Hill, Westward Ho!

                                  Victoria Inn, Salcombe

Best Pub:  The Journeys End Inn, Kingsbridge

                The Pig & Whistle, Totnes

                 Victoria Inn, Salcombe

Best Bistro:   La Petite Bouchee, Witheridge

                    The Arundell Arms, Lifton

                    Waterside Bistro, Totnes

Best Café: Amelia's Café at Cofton, Exeter

                The Pantry, Kingsbridge

                 Valley View café, Kingsbridge

Best Street Food:   Open Sesame, Axminster

                            The Glorious Oyster, Instow

                             The Teign Canteen, Teignmouth

Taste of Devon Retail category shortlist

Best Retailer: Ashburton Delicatessen

                    Aune Valley Meats, Kingsbridge

                    Besshill Farm Shop, Barnstaple

Best Online Retailer: Eversfield Organic

                               Pretty Local

                               Riverford Organic Farmers

Best Farmers Market: Crediton Farmers Market

                                Tavistock Farmers Market

                                Totnes Good Food Market

Best Cookery School:  Ashburton Cookery School

                                 Exeter Cookery School

                                 Salcombe Distilling

For further information, photography or an interview with Barbara King, chair of Food & Drink Devon, please contact:

Hayley Reynolds at RAW PR and Marketing - hayley@rawprandmarketing.co.uk;

Telephone: 01548 550 429 / 07887 474 104

Twitter: @HayleyJReynolds / @RawSW