Hampshire Life Food and Drink Awards

Thu 04 August 2011

The judges of this year’s Hampshire Food and Drink awards have selected the finalists out of the hundreds of nominations and the shortlist of the nominees in each category have now been revealed!

Now in their sixth year the awards are now recognised as the Oscars of the local food and drink industry, celebrating the best our county has to offer. Since the start of the year Hampshire Life readers and local food lovers have been able to nominate producers, growers, suppliers and hospitality venues around the county in a number of categories before the judges had the difficult job of deciding on the top three finalists for each group.

This year we are proud to be sponsoring the Best Farm Shop category. As all four of our hotels and our pub, The Drift Inn, create menus from local produce it seemed a fitting category for us to support and we were keen to hear who the finalists were.

Just up the road from us between Brockenhurst and Lymington the first finalist is Setley Ridge Farm Shop. A family run business, which also grow grapes and make the wine that is sold on site, not to mention the local produce from the New Forest, Isle of Wight and Hampshire that their shop is bursting with.

Next is Wellington Farm Shop, situated between Reading and Basingstoke they pride themselves on offering the highest quality locally sourced fresh meat, cheese and produce and a shopping experience for discerning rural residents that is synonymous with the fine food store of London. 

And last but by no means least Newlyns Farm Shop, situated in Hook. A family run 500 acre traditional mixed farm who have been producing great food in the heart of Hampshire for four generations. The Newlyns experience is from field to fork!

Now the finalists have been chosen the judges will be busy visiting the shops, sometimes in secret, to see who most deserves the accolade of Best Farm Shop of the year. We can’t wait until the awards ceremony on the 25th August to reveal the winner!