Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan product category sponsor Daily Bread in Northampton hosted the announcement of this year’s Artisan Producer category awards. With sponsors J Sweeney Accountants and Heygates Flour and Animal Feed, sponsors of Artisan Local Drink and Artisan Local Product respectively, it was an opportunity to spread the word that buying local is good for the economy and tastes good too!

Morcea Walker MBE, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire and Kristina Rhianoff (former Strictly dancer and co-owner of Soo Yoga in the town) joined the celebrations to add their support to the finalists. Bronze, Silver and Gold winners were presented with their certificates, gold winners will be able to enter the Guild of Fine Foods Great Taste Awards in 2024 on us!

The early announcements of these three categories was instigated during Covid to ensure that Bronze, Silver and Gold winners can promote their accolade during the summer food and drink festivals.

Rachel Mallows MBE, Awards Director said “This has been an amazing year for our three produce and drink categories. At every stage of judging I have received such praise for the wares of our county. There is real innovation in these 21 products and several second stage judges just couldn’t believe how representative they were of the county and what a strong regional offering we have. In fact, I asked judges to identify 3 to 5 finalists and all thee categories decided on 7!”

The winners are:

Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan Product of the Year 2023/24, sponsored by Daily Bread

Bronze
The Tollemache Arms- Harrington Wild Garlic Butter

Shoots & Spores Fresh Oyster Mushrooms

Urban Microgreens- Salad Mix

Dovely Bakery -Rose Cottage Multi Seed Loaf

Silver

Hamm Tun Fine Foods-Northamptonshire Blue

Sophisticake Creations-Carrot, Parsnip and Pecan Cake

Gold

Mill House-The Old Stable Yard Tea Room -Strawberry & Rose Cake

Emily Armstrong, Mill House-The Old Stable Yard Team Room – “It means absolutely everything to me, I started this 4 years ago and it’s an amazing achievement from where I came from, never being able to make a cake to now having an award-winning cake, it’s just incredible. I couldn’t be happier! ”

Artisan Local Product of the Year 2023/24, sponsored by Heygates

Bronze

Made by the Beekeeper-New Lodge Vineyard Chili Honey

Friars Farm-Lemon Curd

Duston Village Bakery -Steak Pasty

F.F Tee Bakery -Northampton Cheesecake

Silver

Hamm Tun Fine Foods-Shoetown Blue

The Boughton Estate -Boughton Estate Homemade Honey

Gold

Your Cool -Coffee Ice Cream

Jo Rutherford, Your Cool – “This really means everything to me, I can’t quite believe it. I’m concentrating on using local ingredients in my products and I want to continue to do this. This is the reward I needed to show I’m doing something right!”

Artisan Local Drink of the Year 2023/24 sponsored by J Sweeney Accountants

Bronze

Winwick Hall Bruce Green Limited-Winwick Hall Methode Champenoise

Phipps Northampton Brewery Co Ltd -Phipps Foundry Mild

Three Hills Brewing Ltd-Heidrun Session NEIPA

Bearly Organised Ltd-Paw Another

Silver

Mee Blueberries-Blueberry Juice

Wild & Furrow -Oat Drink

Gold

Silverstone Distillery- Club 80 Navy Strength London Dry Gin

Joe Mayhew, Silverstone Distillery – “To win this award is incredible because you have a group of strangers who don’t know you, they’ve tried your product and chosen it from many other vendors. I’m incredibly proud, emotional and super privileged.”

The remaining categories will be announced at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards ceremony, to be held on Wednesday, 1^st November 2023 at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate. For more details of this year’s competition, or for tickets, please call Lyn Mole on 01933 664437 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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

Dovely Bakery -Rose Cottage Multi Seed Loaf

Sophisticake Creations-Carrot, Parsnip and Pecan Cake

Shoots & Spores Fresh Oyster Mushrooms

Urban Microgreens- Salad Mix

Mill House-The Old Stable Yard Tea Room -Strawberry & Rose Cake

 

Hamm Tun Fine Foods-Northamptonshire Blue

Unveiling the Finalists for the The Fifteenth Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards Awards, Vegan & Vegetarian Category Sponsored by Daily Bread
The Northamptonshire Food and Drinks Awards, a prestigious event celebrating the culinary excellence of the county, is back with great excitement this year. With an array of remarkable producers, chefs, and establishments vying for recognition, the awards promise to be a celebration of Northamptonshire's vibrant food and drinks scene. In particular, we shine a spotlight on the finalists of the category sponsored by Daily Bread, a renowned wholefood shop and advocate of sustainable, high-quality ingredients.

Northamptonshire boasts a rich agricultural heritage and a thriving food and drinks industry. The county is home to a multitude of talented individuals and establishments that contribute to its gastronomic reputation. The Northamptonshire Food and Drinks Awards serve as a platform to recognize and honour the hard work and dedication of those who make the local culinary scene truly exceptional.

Without further ado, let us introduce the finalists for the Northamptonshire Food and Drinks Awards, Vegan & Vegetarian Category sponsored by Daily Bread:

Dovely Bakery – Rose Cottage Multi Seed Loaf

Hamm Tun Fine Foods- Northamptonshire Blue

Mill House at the Old Stable Yard Tearoom- Strawberry & Rose Cake

Shoots & Spores- Fresh Oyster Mushrooms

Sophisticake Creations- Carrot, Parsnip & Pecan Cake

The Tollemache Arms- Harrington Wild Garlic Butter

Urban Microgreens- Salad Mix

The winners and runners-up in each category will be decided by a second stage judging process and winners will be announced on 4th August at Daily Bread.

Celebrating the Life of a Quiet Giant

Roger Sawtell from the early days of Daily BreadDaily Bread Co-operate marks the passing of Roger Sawtell (1927-2022).

Roger Sawtell was born in Sheffield in 1927, was educated in Wales and Cambridge and began a promising career in engineering. When his focus shifted from the practical aspects to managements, he discovered a new calling: creating and developing different, more equitable models for businesses.

In 1967 Roger, with his wife Susan and their four young children, undertook a 7,000 mile journey overland in a motor caravan. They visited Israel and stayed in a kibbutz, where they experienced the democratic structure of the community. This, along with the philosophy of the economist E.F. Schumacher, inspired Roger in his new endeavour. Soon afterwards he was invited to Trylon ltd. (a small Northamptonshire company, then makers of fibreglass canoes, now specialising in specialist design) to develop their employee-owned business. He became an advisor to similar small businesses and drafted a set of Model Rules for small co-operatives in 1976, which would become a major influence in the growing co-operative movement in this country. In the same year, he and a group of friends began Daily Bread Co-operative, a workers’ co-operative based on a Christian model for business, which started trading in 1980.

In the 1970s he served as chair of Industrial Common Ownership Movement, now Co-operatives UK, as well Industrial Common Ownership Finance, the first community development fund which now trades as Co-operative & Community Finance and makes sympathetic loans to help launch or develop co-operatives nationwide. During his life he published numerous articles and booklets and two books: Under One Roof – the Story of a Christian Community in 2015 and his autobiography, A Somewhat Upside-Down Life in 2016. He maintained, however, that his only best seller was A Simple Communion, a short Eucharistic liturgy that sold 10,000 copies.

Although Roger retired as a member of Daily Bread Co-operative in 1987 he remained a part-time worker while pursuing other projects, and up until quite recently he was a frequent and welcome visitor, even if he had just popped in to make use of the photocopier! He maintained a keen interest in the activities of the company and kept up-to-date on the ever-changing membership and workforce. In 2013 Roger was present at a very special event: the relaunch of Daily Bread’s online shop with guest visitor, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. In 2019, Co-operatives UK awarded Roger the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in their Co-operative of the Year Awards, and Nick Matthews, then chair of Co-operatives UK, travelled to Daily Bread to present him with the award in person.

Roger passed away on the 15th of December. He had been unwell for some months, but died peacefully at 95, surrounded by his family. We at Daily Bread offer our sincerest condolences to his family, and express our gratitude for the huge impact he had on the co-operative movement in the UK. Roger Sawtell was a quiet and gentle man, and yet his legacy is one of many thousands of lives changed.

Tom Pearson, Member, Daily Bread Co-operative
20th December, 2022

Roger receiving Lifetime Achievement Award 

From the Rev Kate Bottley who visited Daily Bread in August 2022, with a special shout out to Roger Sawtell one of our founder members.

Daily Bread in Northampton was the host for the announcement of this year’s Artisan Local Product, Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan and Artisan Local Drink winners. The competition, now in its fourteenth year, is aimed at celebrating all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence across a range of categories, rewarding those who work so hard within the food production and culinary sector.

Well known on radio and TV for her enthusiasm and passion, the Reverend Kate Bottley joined finalists in all three categories with sponsors, patrons, judges and press to announce the Bronze, Silver and Gold winners for 2022. A former Celebrity Masterchef contestant in 2017 and known to undertake the odd cookery demonstration here and there, Kate brought a sense of joy to the occasion as she made her announcements.

The winners will be celebrated at the annual Awards Dinner in the autumn, but these accolades can be promoted in the forthcoming Food and Drink Festivals across the county and country. Gold winners, as well as receiving mentoring support, will be entered into the Guild of Fine Foods Great Taste Awards for 2023.

 View special message from the Rev Kate Bottley to Daily Bread and Roger Sawtell

The winners are:

Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan Product of the Year 2022/23, sponsored by Daily Bread

Bronze
Almond & Coconut Granola By Salma Shah
Cucumber & Dill Sauerkraut from Millie Pickles
Vegan Fizzy Blue Raspberry Bottles from The Sweet Lounge
Silver
Spiced Rhubarb Chutney from The Food Library
Tongue Taster from Northampton Cheese Company
Gold
Oinkin’ Patties from The Curious Vegan

Artisan Local Product of the Year 2022/23, sponsored by Heygates Flour and Animal Feed
Bronze
Elderflower Sorbet from Your Cool
Garlic and Fennel Salami from Northampton Charcuterie Company
Tomato & Chilli Chutney from Green Kitchen Preserves
Silver
Blueberry & Lavender Jam from Mee Farmers
Northamptonshire Blue from Hamm Tun Fine Foods
White Sourdough from Whittlebury Bakery
Gold
Naked Dairy Gelato from Rocky’s Gelato

Artisan Local Drink of the Year 2022/23
Bronze
Solstice Single Malt Whisky from Wharf Distillery
Silver
Heidrun session NEIPA from Three Hills Brewing
Oat Drink from Wild & Furrow
Gold
Blue Aurora English Blueberry Ice Wine from Lutton Farm
Lactodorum Towcester Gin from Wharf Distillery
Stonyfield English Quality Sparkling Wine 2018 Rose from Stonyfield Vineyard

Post pandemic, the organisers were thrilled to receive a higher number of entries than previous years and from a range of established and new businesses. Awards director, Rachel Mallows, said “We are once again thrilled to have the headline sponsorship of Weetabix, and category sponsorship from Daily Bread and Heygates Flour and Animal Feed in these artisan awards. On a very warm summer’s day, we presented a superb range of finalist produce and drink from some pretty amazing businesses. To have Kate help us with this was the icing on the cake!” The judging involved a two stage tasting process with local and then external judges across a number of months. This year there was resounding support for the county’s producers with one second stage judge commenting that the ‘category products and drinks were world class; exceptional. Any county would be proud of all these products.’
Daily Bread member John Clarke said “We had really wanted Kate to help us celebrate our 40th anniversary two years ago, but with the pandemic we had to cancel. We are over the moon to welcome her to Daily Bread with the Awards team and have her congratulations to us all, from what was started by a small group from Weston Favell Church. Daily Bread has a great selection of local producers in the shop and we know our customers love buying local.”

Gold award winner, Curious Vegan Co., a vegan company based between Horton and Braefield said ‘we are absolutely thrilled to bits to win Gold for our Oinkin’ Pattie. It’s credence to what we do. We strive to be the best and it’s really such a big team effort and I’m so proud of everyone back at the farm. We will keep striving to make products better, more accessible and we are now taking it to market into wholesale and into retail early next year. This award will give us the spring in our step to really push our products forward’.

Silver award winner, Mee Farmers, who won the award for their Blueberry & Lavender Jam lockdown recipe that uses waste fruit said they added lavender to the product as they wanted to relate it to British products. They said, ‘It’s a really exciting time for us wining this award as it’s our first time going into products with blueberries (which they sell fresh to Waitrose and M&S). It’s really nice to have my own project that I can take forward. The blueberry and lavender jam was the first product we started working on and its success has now led the way for a new market for us. To have it be your own recipe and win something is very special.’

The remaining categories will be announced at the annual Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards ceremony, to be held on Wednesday, 12th October 2022 at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate. For more details of this year’s competition, or for tickets, please call Sophie Smith on 01933 664437 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Meanwhile you can also follow the Awards on Twitter and Instagram at @foodawardsHQ or on Facebook at @foodawards or LinkedIn at @weetabixnfadawards using the hashtag #WFDA22

Kate Bottley and the Northamptonshire Food and Drinks Awards

This is the 14th year of the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards which celebrates the sector across 15 categories this year. Individuals, businesses and charities involved in food and our local food web are celebrated and encouraged.

The Rev Kate Bottley is attending the announcements of the the winners in three categories on Wednesday 10th August 2022

This event will be held on the Lawn by Workbridge Cafe starting at 10am untill Noon.

There will  be John Clarke from Daily Bread Co-operative which sponsor of the Vegetarian and Vegan awards  Paul Heygates from Heygates sponsor of the Artisan Local product. Both will be presenting the awards.

A representative from Weetabix the headline sponsors for the awards. In addition to winners receiving awards in those categories there will alsobe  awards given to the Artisan Local Drinks winners.

Rev Kate Bottley will be there to help celebrate the awards and will be the keynote speaker for the event.

The Reverend Kate Bottley is a priest in North Nottinghamshire. Ordained in 2008, she is passonate about bringing stories of faith and belief to the widest audience possible.
She presents BBC Radio 2's weekly show, Good Morning Sunday, with Jason Mohammed. Kate is a frequent guest contributor on BBC Radio2's Pause for Thought on the Chris Evans Breakfast show and presented the stations's The Sunday hour.
Kate is a regular presenter on Songs of Praise. She has also made guest appearances in Celebrity Masterchef, Hairy Bikers Cracking Christmas and many more television shows.

Finalists in each category

Artisan Local Vegetarian/Vegan Product – Sponsored by Daily Bread

Almond and Coconut Granola - By Salma Shah
Salma started creating her Granola in June 2020 after the sudden death of her father due to COVID 19. You could say it was her coping strategy: selling artisan vegan granola and using the profits to hold fortnightly women’s wellness walks in her local community.

Cucumber & Dill Sauerkraut - Millie Pickle’sTheir adventure with fermented food began simply by baking bread at home. A little later they began making yogurt and next came home-brew beer. Their yeasted bread became sourdough and eventually we learnt to make kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha and kefir.
Fresh and summery this cucumber and cabbage ferment with dill and garlic is a wonderful addition to salads and sandwiches. Enjoy as part of a picnic lunch or at anytime to give your gut bacteria a boost.

Oinkin’ Patties - The Curious Vegan
The Curious Vegan Co. journey began in 2019. Paul Hunt has used his experience as a development chef and his passion for plant based food to create the ultimate vegan meat alternatives to help others reduce their meat consumption. Many of the herbs they use to infuse flavour into the products come from their on-site sustainable vertical farm, Syan Farms.

Spiced Rhubarb Chutney - The Food library
Laura and Michael are committed to growing their own delicious, chemical-free, environmentally friendly food, being an active, friendly library and project in their neighbourhood and participating in a local, sustainable food chain. From a Library dedicated to food, Laura and Michael grow, harvest and prepare a unique collection of seasonal liqueurs and preserves, the Spiced Rhubarb Chutney being one of them.

Vegan Blue Raspberry Bottles - Sweet Lounge
Launched in 2014 with a passion for making people happy through treats and sweet gifts, they now focus on plant-based innovations eliminating animals from production, helping out the environment and providing chewy candies without compromising on taste or texture.
Check out their packaging which is totally recyclable.
 
Tongue Taster - Northampton Cheese Company
Northampton Cheese Company only opened back in the summer of 2021. All of their cheeses are handmade in Northampton in their purpose built unit at Phipps Brewery. They use fresh organic milk from a local dairy in Northamptonshire. They use the traditional method to make all of their cheeses and only use the best products to flavour them. The Tongue Taster is smoked over oak chips to give that full bodied smoky flavour.

Artisan Local Product – Sponsored by Heygates

Blueberry & Lavender Jam - Mee Farmers-

Elderflower Sorbet - Your Cool

Garlic & Fennel Salami - Northampton Charcuterie Company

Naked Dairy - Rocky’s Gelato

Northamptonshire Blue - Hamm Tun Fine Foods

Tomato & Chilli Chutney - Green Kitchen Preserves

White Sourdough - Whittlebury Bakery

Artisan Local Drink

Blue Aurora Ice - Lutton Farm

Heidrun session NEIPA - Three Hills Brewing

Lactodorum Gin - Wharf Distillery

Oat Milk – Wild and Furrow

Stonyfield English Quality Sparkling Wine 2018 Rose - Stonyfield wine-

SOLSTICE Single Malt English Whiskey - Wharf Distillery

 Judges wowed by quality of Northamptonshire’s Artisan Producers as finalists are announced in the County’s Food Awards.

Eighteen of the County’s finest artisan food and drink products have been shortlisted as finalists in the Fourteenth Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards and will now battle it out for Gold, Silver and Bronze in their respective categories. Sponsors Heygates and Daily Bread were delighted with the significant number of entries received across the three Artisan producer categories: Artisan Local Drink, Artisan Local Product and Artisan Local Vegan/Vegetarian Product. The ‘Artisan’ classification includes products from companies that make a high-quality or distinctive product in small quantities, usually by hand or using traditional methods.

Alison Cox, from Green Kitchen Preserves, shortlisted for their Tomato & Chilli Chutney, said:
“I was so pleased to hear I had been shortlisted on the evening of my 50th Birthday.
The competition standard is very high, I’m immensely proud. The Tomato & Chilli Chutney
has got to be my best seller at the moment - customers are loving it and it seemed an
obvious product to enter. Although I don’t naturally shout about my products, it’s fabulous
to be recognised amongst other great products.”

Laurence Conisbee, from Wharf Distillery, shortlisted for their Lactodurum Gin and Solstice Malt Whisky, said:
“Wharf Distillery is delighted to have two products in the finals of the Artisan Local Drink at this year's Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards. Having one product reach the final is fantastic, but two is amazing and testimony to the hard work of our small team here in Towcester. We are particularly delighted that our Solstice English Whisky has made the finals as this has truly been a long labour of love, almost four years, bringing Northamptonshire's first ever whisky to the market. These awards are so important to help small producers raise their profile across Northamptonshire and beyond and we are honoured to be part of them.”

Rachel Mallows MBE DL, Awards Director, said:
“I’m delighted to see the County’s Food and Drink Sector continue to flourish after a couple of very challenging years. The entries in the Artisan categories have made tough judging even at the short-listing stage which sets a great precedent of what’s to come and reflects the fantastic level of produce and drink within the category. I do hope that our county foodies will seek out these products and try them.”

These prestigious Northamptonshire Awards aim to celebrate all that is great about local produce and drink, recognising excellence within the County’s dining venues and reward those who work so hard within the culinary sector.

Finalists for all three categories are:

Artisan Local Vegetarian/ Vegan Product of the Year,
sponsored by Daily Bread:

• Salma Shah - Almond & Coconut Granola
• The Food Library - Spiced Rhubarb Chutney
• Millie’s Pickles - Cucumber & cabbage
• The Curious Vegan - Oinkin Patties
• Sweet Lounge - Vegan blue raspberry bottles
• Northampton Cheese company - Tongue Taster

Artisan Local Drink of the Year:

• Stonyfield wine - Sparkling Rose
• Three Hills Brewing - Heidrun session NEIPA
• Wharf Distillery - Lactodurum Gin and Solstice Malt Whisky
• Lutton Farm - Blue Aurora Ice
• Wild and Furrow - Oat drink

Artisan Local Product of the Year, sponsored by Heygates:

• Whittlebury Bakery- White Sourdough
• Northamptonshire Charcuterie Company- Garlic & Fennel salami
• Green Kitchen Preserves - Tomato & Chilli chutney
• Your cool - Elderflower sorbet
• Naked Dairy - Rocky’s Gelato
• Mee Farmers- Blueberry & lavender Jam
• Hamm Tun Fine Foods- Northamptonshire Blue

The winners and runners-up in each category will be decided by a second stage judging process and winners will be announced later in the summer.
 

For more information on the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2022/23, please
visit www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk